Thomas Osborn 20-year-old Hayward resident died in a hospital Tuesday morning after being gunned down Monday night in a drive-by shooting

Thomas Osborn 20-year-old Hayward resident died in a hospital Tuesday morning after being gunned down Monday night in a drive-by shooting on Gading Road.His death was the city's first homicide of the year, Hayward police Sgt. Steve Brown said.
"That guy was a guy with a really big heart," his distraught mother, Tommie Osborn, said during a vigil held for her son Thursday night. "He was just a beautiful person.""I love him and he loves me," said Alma Villasana, his fiancee. "He was the best guy in the world, and they took him."About 120 family members and friends gathered in front of the Las Casitas Apartments — the site where Osborn was shot. A makeshift memorial of flowers, candles, packs of cigarettes and empty liquor bottles was set up just in front of the parking lot entrance of the complex.
After a moment of silence and a prayer, the crowd peacefully walked down Gading Road toward Schafer Road to the Ventur Market, a place Osborn frequently visited.
A parade of lit candles, held by friends and family, illuminated the route Osborn often walked on his way to the store."He was giving and filled with so much compassion," said his brother, Anthony Osborn. "I really miss him."Thomas Osborn — who celebrated his 20th birthday Feb. 12 — recently returned to Hayward after a brief stay in San Diego.His sister, Rosemarie Osborn, said he left to "get away and better his life.""He had the face of a real tough guy," she said. "But if you got to know him he was a huge teddy bear."Amanda Paiva, a Sacramento resident who previously dated Osborn, was shocked when she heard the news, she said."We recently talked and he was just telling me about how happy he was and he felt that he was really in a good spot right now in his life," she said. "I don't understand how this could've happened to him, because he was such a great guy."Friends also described Osborn as a "goofy, free spirit" who was often the life of the party.
Family members said Osborn attended Tennyson High School from 2005 to 2007, but did not graduate. He also previously worked at a Home Depot store in Union City.According to police, Osborn had been standing with a group of people in front of the apartment complex when a white van pulled onto the parking lot. As it turned to exit, at least one gunman — possibly two — opened fire with handguns, Brown said.
Police, who continue to investigate and still have no motive for the shooting, located the vehicle believed to be involved on Tuesday in San Leandro. The van reportedly had been stolen Feb. 14 from C Street in Hayward.Funeral services are pending. Osborn is survived by his fiancee, Alma Villasana; his mother, Tommie Osborn of Hayward; brother Anthony Osborn of Hayward; and sisters Rosemarie and Viviana Osborn, both of Hayward.