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Mother of teen accused of killing 14-year-old girl claims he is innocent

GASTON COUNTY, N.C. — A teenager accused of killing a 14-year-old girl and leaving her body in a Belmont park made his first court appearance on Monday.

[PAST COVERAGE: Teen killed at Molly Holly park]

Eyewitness News reporter Ken Lemon spoke to the suspect's mother, who insisted that her son is innocent.

Eric Combs' mother said she talked to her son from jail on Sunday night.

Combs, 17, has been indicted for murder.

(Combs)

"My son is innocent," LaQuita Garrett said.

Click Play for an interview clip with Garrett.

Garrett said Combs was with her three weeks ago at the time that police say he shot and killed Taylor Smith at River Street Park in Belmont.

Co-defendant Darvon Fletcher said he and Combs took Taylor to the park, and Combs shot and killed the girl, according to warrants.

(Fletcher)

Garrett said she took her family on vacation to Ohio later that day, but knew nothing about Smith's murder.

[PAST COVERAGE: 2nd person wanted in 14-year-old's shooting death at Mount Holly park]

“This was scheduled a week, more than two weeks in advance," Garrett said.

She said that once they arrived in Ohio, Combs became a suspect in the murder and ran in fear.

He later turned himself in.

Garrett said she had seen Taylor hanging around her son and his friend before, and the girl asked to stay at her home, but she couldn't prove that her parents gave her permission to stay over.

"I asked her not to come back around my house," Garrett said.

She said news of the homicide was an emotional blow.

"My heart does go out to Taylor's family. That's somebody's child,” Garrett said. “I love my kids. I cried for her as well."

She insisted that her son didn't kill Taylor, despite police statements that security cameras captured the co-defendants driving away from the park.

Garrett said she wishes she could have helped the young girl.

"I feel like if I would have done more, maybe somebody would have got a handle, and all of this could have been avoided," Garrett said.

Combs will be given a court-appointed attorney. He is still being held in jail without bond.

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