Two school-aged boys have been charged with murder over the alleged mistaken-identity shooting of 23-year-old university student Marco Tapia at his family’s home in Sydney’s south-west.
The boys, aged 14 and 16, were arrested at separate homes in Fairfield on Wednesday after homicide detectives executed search warrants. Police allege they helped prepare for the attack and assisted those involved afterwards, although neither boy is accused of firing the fatal shot.
Charges follow Glen Alpine investigation
Emergency services were called to the Glen Alpine property shortly before 4am on September 1 after reports of a home invasion. Officers found Mr Tapia suffering from a gunshot wound inside the house. He died at the scene.
Investigators later said the family home had been targeted in error. Mr Tapia, a biomedical student, was not believed to have links to organised crime. His parents and sister were reportedly inside the property when the shooting occurred.
Both teenagers have been charged with murder, participating in a criminal group and contributing to criminal activity, possessing an unauthorised prohibited firearm, and two counts of driving a vehicle without the owner’s consent. The 14-year-old also faces a charge of damaging property by fire or explosion.
The boys appeared in a children’s court on Thursday and did not apply for bail. Bail was formally refused and the matters were adjourned until November 13 at Parramatta Children’s Court. The allegations have not been tested in court.
Police allege logistical role in attack
NSW Police Homicide Squad commander Detective Superintendent Joe Doueihi said investigators would allege the pair staged vehicles and supplied a firearm used in the operation. Police also allege they transported other offenders, disposed of vehicles and cleaned a residence occupied by those involved.
Police believe three principal offenders entered the Glen Alpine home during the alleged attack. Those suspects remain at large, while detectives continue trying to identify the organised crime group believed to be behind the shooting.
Detective Superintendent Doueihi said the alleged conduct formed part of a joint criminal enterprise and that police regarded the attack as having the hallmarks of an organised crime killing. He said investigators followed a substantial trail of evidence, alleging one teenager suffered burns while attempting to set fire to a vehicle used in the operation.
According to police, the two boys were still attending school and had not previously been known to investigators. Their families were described as devastated by the arrests. Police are examining how the teenagers were allegedly recruited and what financial payment may have been offered.
Concern over youth recruitment by criminal networks
The case has intensified concern about organised crime figures using young people for violent or logistical work. Police say offshore controllers and local networks can exploit teenagers with promises of money and excitement, leaving inexperienced recruits exposed to serious criminal charges and lengthy prison sentences.
Mr Tapia’s death was followed a day later by another suspected mistaken-identity shooting in Merrylands West, where 40-year-old tradesman Joshua Macdonald was killed. Authorities have not suggested the victims had criminal connections. The two deaths prompted renewed scrutiny of Sydney’s underworld violence and the recruitment of juveniles.
The NSW government has proposed stronger measures aimed at organised crime, including tougher penalties for people contracted to carry out serious violence. Police have also said hundreds of arrests have been made in organised crime investigations during the past year, but senior figures operating from overseas remain a major enforcement challenge.
Investigation remains active
Detectives are continuing to pursue the alleged gunman and the other people suspected of entering the home. They are also investigating who planned the attack, why the wrong address was selected and how the accused teenagers allegedly became involved.
For Mr Tapia’s family, the charges represent one development in a case police say began with a catastrophic error. Further arrests remain possible as investigators work through forensic, vehicle and communications evidence linked to the shooting and its aftermath.
