Mourning mother describes night teen killed in robbery

Family and friends will pay their respects to Javier Flores, an 18-year old Cesar Chavez High School student who was shot to death inside a Subway restaurant while trying to save his mother’s life. Hilda Vasquez spent the last few moments with her son inside the Subway location on Broadway Street in southeast Houston.

The family celebrated Flores' 18th birthday in January. In a few days, the family will say goodbye to him forever.

"The first instinct that Javier did was just run around, then he just pushed me and then I just saw the gun, I saw when the flare of the gun just came out, then I looked and I saw my son on the floor, bleeding from his neck," says Vasquez.

The mother of two was working alongside Javier at the Subway on Wednesday night when two men entered the store and pointed a loaded gun in her face. She says Javier pushed her out of the way when they pointed the gun at her. That's when he was shot.

"I was trying to stop the bleeding, but the bleeding never stopped, the bleeding never stopped," explains Vasquez. "It was just coming and coming and he just looked at me and said, 'Ma, I'm going to be fine, where's Pa?'" Moments later, Javier’s father, Carlos Vasquez, arrived at the Subway. He also tried to stop the bleeding from the bullet wound to Javier's neck.

The family will host a viewing for Javier on Saturday. Hilda tells FOX 26 News that he had plans to serve in the United States Marine Corps.

"They could have just taken the money, they didn't have to take my son's life," adds Hilda. "They could have just taken the money, they could have taken anything they want! Why'd they have to take my son?"

Crime Stoppers of Houston will conduct a news conference at 11 a.m. Saturday regarding the case.