An uncle of slain Newark police detective Joseph Azcona said the family is in shock from the young law officer’s death — and he said he knew who to blame for the tragedy.
“It’s the parents. The way they were raised, the parents,” Juan G. Lopez, told The Post, referring to the guardians of the 14-year-old accused killer, whose identity has not been released.
He said the tragedy has left the officer’s family stunned.
“It’s crazy,” Lopez said. “I’ve been around for over 40 years and that surprised me.”
Joseph Azcona. Jose Azcona
Police Officer Joseph Azcona’s family is split on blaming the parents of the teen who allegedly murdered their son. David Burns
Lopez spoke as a large group of family members gathered at the home of Azcona’s dad, Juan, on Saturday night in Newark.
Shocked kin were still coming to terms with the detective’s sudden and violent death.
The grieving father was too emotionally distraught to offer any words, gutted by the senseless murder of his son Joseph.
Lopez talked of the pain of the loss.
The scene of the deadly shooting. Christopher Sadowski“We work in the city of Newark. We pay taxes. We are business people. We keep things straight and don’t do drugs so this hurt,” Lopez said.
Azcona’s mother Martha Vargas said that she and other family members were at her son’s bedside when he died in the early hours of Saturday morning and were still in the throes of grief.
“That was my baby. He always said he wanted to be a cop when he was little and when he grew up he took the test,” Vargas, 56, told The Post on Saturday.
Vargas, however, didn’t want to blame the teen suspect’s family.
“Sometimes you can blame the parents but sometimes you can’t. You don’t know what they’re doing. You cannot blame them. I don’t blame the parents, believe me,” Vargas told The Post.
Detective Azcona’s mother Martha Vargas speaks after her son’s death on March 8, 2025. David Burns
Azcona’s uncle, Juan G. Lopez, told The Post, “It’s crazy,” on the subject of being asked about the killer suspect’s age. For the New York PostThe 14-year-old suspect allegedly opened fire with an automatic weapon at about 6:30 p.m. Friday — sending 29 bullets towards Azcona and his partner who were unable to get out of their police car before the barrage struck, according to Essex County Prosecutor Theodore Stephens.
The five-year veteran of the force died Saturday morning surrounded by family at University Hospital, where Azcona’s yet unnamed partner, who survived the shootout, is currently being treated.
The 14-year-old suspect was shot during the eruption of fire and is also being treated at University Hospital, the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office said at a press conference Saturday.
