A Kane'ohe Bay Marine who died Sunday in Anbar province, Iraq, was caught in a surprise attack and killed instantly, his mother said during an interview with a TV reporter in Kentucky.

The Pentagon released a statement yesterday that Lance Cpl. Thomas Reilly Jr., 19, of London, Ky., died while supporting combat operations.

"He was on a mission," said Gina Bray, Reilly's mother, in an interview Tuesday with WKYT. "It was a hostile situation ... and they just hurt my baby ... and they took him."

Reilly was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 3rd Marines, 3rd Marine Division, at Kane'ohe Bay.

Bray said her son went straight into the military after graduating from South Laurel High School last year and that he had been in Iraq since the summer. She said he joined the military to make others safe and was planning to attend culinary school after getting out of the military.

"He was coming home in April. He was going to surprise me," Bray said during the tearful interview. "And he didn't get to come home."

A funeral has not yet been scheduled.

Reilly arrived at Marine Corps Base Hawai'i on Dec. 31, 2007, the Marine Corps said.

His awards include a Combat Action Ribbon, Sea Service Deployment Ribbon, Iraq Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal and National Defense Service Medal.