Mistaken Identity Cited in Teen's Murder Charge in Sydney
A 16-year-old boy is among three charged with murder in the shooting death of a medical student, with police alleging the wrong home was targeted.
A 16-year-old boy and two men face murder charges in connection with the fatal shooting of Marco Tapia, 23, inside his family's Sydney home. Police allege the incident on September 1 was a gang-related shooting that targeted the wrong residence.
Two other boys, aged 14 and 16, have previously been charged in relation to the incident, accused of staging vehicles and providing the weapon used in the shooting.
The latest arrests occurred Tuesday morning in Junee, where a 16-year-old boy and two men, aged 22 and 23, were taken into custody. They were subsequently charged with murder, two counts of special aggravated break and enter while armed, and possessing an unauthorized prohibited firearm. According to a NSW Police spokesperson, investigators will allege that the three individuals, one armed with a pistol, entered the home and confronted Tapia before he was fatally shot.
All three defendants were denied bail. The two men are scheduled to appear in a bail court on Wednesday, while the 16-year-old is expected to appear in a children's court.
Detective Superintendent Joe Doueihi of NSW Police's Homicide Squad is expected to release further details on the new charges. The development comes weeks after Tapia's family spoke out about their grief.
His mother, Claudia, father, Sergio, and sister, Cassie, were present in the home during the incident but were unharmed. Cassie Tapia, who is set to marry in November, mentioned that wedding invitations were due to be sent out on the day her brother was killed. She described Marco as her best friend, whose absence as a groomsman would be heartbreaking.
Tapia's death was one of three fatal shootings in Sydney within a five-day period. The day after Tapia's killing, Joshua MacDonald, 40, was fatally shot in Merrylands West. Police are investigating this incident as another potential case of mistaken identity, as MacDonald had no known links to organized crime, though the residents of the targeted home were reportedly known to police for such activity. Another shooting on August 28 resulted in the death of Emad Alameddine, 40, at his home in Guildford.