The mother of a murdered Newark police mother recalled her lost son in tears. And we talked about the heartbreak she felt after learning the tragic news.
“It was my baby. Martha Vargas, 56, told the Post on Saturday.
Vargas said she was called to the hospital by her nephew, a police officer, but she didn't expect to see her son on his deathbed.
“I thought it was simple,” she said.
“When I went to the hospital, he was like that. They shot him in the head,” Vargas said in tears in her eyes.
The mother of five said she is always worried about her youngest son due to the inherent risk of becoming a police officer.
“He always said he wasn't in danger,” she said of Joseph, who was born and raised in Newark, the city where he died.
Vargas said he couldn't believe the defendant murderer was only 14 years old.
“It's crazy. It's crazy. She shook her head and said.
“Sometimes you can blame your parents, but sometimes you can't. You don't know what they're doing. You can't blame them. I don't blame my parents, trust me,” Vargas told the Post.
“When you're with other kids, you know how your kids look.”
In addition to the 14-year-old charged, four other individuals were detained and questioned in connection with the case.
The suspect's teenage gunman was with a large group of people gathered near McDonald and White Castle in the north section of Newark on Friday.
Joseph Azkona passed away early Saturday morning at a university hospital in Newark.
Azcona's injured partner is still recovering at the hospital. Like the 14-year-old suspect, he was hit by a bullet during the incident.
Additional Reports by Shane Galvin
