The mother of a university student killed in a suspected mistaken identity gang shooting has revealed the emotional toll of her son’s death.
Marco Tapia, 23, was shot dead in his family home in southwest Sydney‘s quiet Glen Alpine estate on September 1.
Two men, Vaifaalie Tuafuti, 22, and Omar Mohamed, 23, along with a 16-year-old boy, all previously extradited from Victoria to NSW, were on Tuesday charged with Mr Tapia’s murder and a string of other offences.
Mr Tapia’s mother, Claudia, said that although the family welcomed charges, every development in the case reminded them their son was dead.
She described her son as ‘not simply a victim’, but a warm, caring and loving biomedical engineering student.
He was a committed Christian, a youth leader, volunteer and martial artist.
‘We want people to know who Marco was beyond the circumstances of his death,’ she said in a statement.
‘Marco had plans. He had purpose. He had a future, and he was already making a difference in the lives of others.’
Claudia Tapia (pictured right with her husband Sergio), the mother of a student killed in a suspected mistaken identity gang shooting, has revealed the emotional toll of her son’s death
Marco Tapia, 23, was shot dead in his family home in southwest Sydney’s quiet Glen Alpine estate on September 1
Detective Superintendent Joe Doueihi said police allege the trio collected a criminal contract and forced their way into Mr Tapia’s home while covered from head to toe in dark clothing, armed with a handgun and crowbar.
‘At this particular stage, we are not alleging any particular male pulled the trigger,’ the homicide squad commander told reporters on Wednesday.
Further investigations would attempt to uncover who fired a shot, he said.
Det Supt Doueihi said none of the trio were co-operating with police.
Asked if it was ‘case closed’ for Mr Tapia, Det Supt Doueihi said police had arrested everyone they were looking for but would continue to probe underworld links.
‘We are still looking into the upper echelons of who facilitated this and who organised it,’ he said.
The trio hailed from Victoria and were known to police in the state for a combination of minor offences before extradition to NSW over unrelated offences, Det Supt Doueihi revealed.
Police allege they picked up an interstate criminal ‘contract’, possibly commissioned from overseas.
Ms Tapia said that, although the family welcomed the news that three people had been charged, every development in the case reminded he family that their son was dead
Two men, Vaifaalie Tuafuti, 22, and Omar Mohamed, 23, along with a 16-year-old boy, all previously extradited from Victoria to NSW, were on Tuesday charged with Mr Tapia’s murder and a string of other offences
It is believed Mr Tapia was not the intended target of the botched alleged assassination, the first of two alleged hits in as many days
Their full charges included murder, two counts of special aggravated break and enter, committing a serious indictable offence with a weapon and possessing an unauthorised prohibited firearm.
Neither of the charged men applied for bail on Wednesday afternoon.
They will remain behind bars before their cases return to Wagga Wagga Local Court in November.
The 16-year-old was also due to face a children’s court on Wednesday.
It is believed Mr Tapia was not the intended target of the botched alleged assassination, the first of two alleged hits in as many days.
Detectives allege they have identified the intended target, and Det Supt Doueihi confirmed the person lived on Mr Tapia’s street in Glen Alpine.
On September 16, two boys aged 14 and 16 were arrested and charged over their alleged roles in the murder.
Authorities allege they were involved in the preparation and clean-up of the killing, but were still charged with murder for allegedly playing a role in a joint criminal enterprise.
They will remain behind bars until they next face a children’s court on November 13.
The bloodshed in early September sparked public and political outrage, with criminal activity claiming at least five innocent lives in recent times.
SOURCE: https://www.dailymail.com/news/article-16174095/marco-tapia-mother-death-sydney-murder-charge.html
Leave a Reply