Newark, NJ – A 14-year-old gang member accused of fatally ambushing Newark Police Detective Joseph Azcona will be charged as an adult in federal court, New Jersey US Attorney Alina Habba announced Wednesday. This move bypasses New Jersey state law, which prohibits charging individuals under the age of 15 as adults.
Detective Joseph Azcona, 26, was tragically killed on March 7th while on duty. Habba revealed that she specifically requested the case after meeting with the slain officer’s family at a Mass earlier this week.
“He’s 14 years old, he’s part of a gang — he shot a cop who came out to get him and the officer is now dead. He was 26 years old,” Habba stated, referring to Detective Joseph Azcona.
Habba, who recently assumed the role of US Attorney for New Jersey, issued a strong warning to underage individuals involved in violent crime, vowing to address the state’s crime issues. “We’ll be charging that minor as an adult. We filed the papers yesterday. 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 asserted.
The announcement came as Habba accompanied a multi-agency law enforcement operation targeting wanted criminals in Newark on Wednesday morning. During the operation, authorities arrested Zakiyy Houser, 18, identified as a Bloods gang member with a history of weapons charges. Houser was wanted for aggravated assault in connection with an incident where he allegedly shot two people. Habba indicated that Houser belonged to the same gang as the 14-year-old accused in Detective Joseph Azcona’s killing.
