Interim New Jersey U.S. Attorney Alina Habba has announced that a 14-year-old gang member accused of fatally shooting a Newark police detective will be charged as an adult in federal court as she vows to crack down on violent crime in the Garden State.
14-Year-Old Accused of Killing New Jersey Officer to be Charged as Adult
"The message is very clear: If you’re a child, I don’t care. If you shoot a cop, you’re getting tried as an adult. I have no tolerance for violence and we’re gonna clean up New Jersey," Interim New Jersey U.S. Attorney Alina Habba said.
by Staff
April 3, 2025
Newark Police Detective Joseph Azcona was killed in March. A 14-year-old is accused of the murder. The teen is reportedly a member of the Bloods gang.
Credit:
New Jersey State Police/Facebook
The teen suspect, who has not yet been publicly identified and is an alleged member of the Bloods gang, is accused of shooting and killing Detective Joseph Azcona in Newark last month while he was inside his police vehicle. Another officer was wounded in the shooting, Fox reports.
"We’ll be charging that minor as an adult. We filed the papers yesterday," Habba told the New York Post on Wednesday.
"The message is very clear: If you’re a child, I don’t care. If you shoot a cop, you’re getting tried as an adult. I have no tolerance for violence and we’re gonna clean up New Jersey," she said.
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