Google Maps to remove satellite image of slain teenager

Google Inc is taking the unusual step of attempting to pull a satellite photo from its Maps service that captures the image of a 14-year-old teenager shot to death in Richmond, California, in 2009.

The Internet search giant, which typically dismisses most requests from the public to modify its Maps service, said on Tuesday it is exploring "technical solutions" to remove the image after the teen's father, Jose Barrera, told a local TV station he had happened across the image last week.

"When I see this image, it's still like that happened yesterday," Barrera told KTVU-TV in Oakland, a CNN affiliate. "And that brings me back to a lot of memories."

Google said it will take up to eight days to replace the image.

"Google has never accelerated the replacement of updated satellite imagery from our maps before, but given the circumstances we wanted to make an exception in this case," Maps vice president Brian McClendon said in a statement.

Kevin Barrera, 14, was shot and killed in 2009. Police discovered his body near a railroad track in Richmond on August 15 that year, the TV station reported.

The image, still accessible on Google Maps on Tuesday morning, shows a stationary police cruiser and people clustered near what appeared to be a person laying next to a set of train tracks.

© Thomson Reuters 2013