A mother and son face murder charges and more after shooting an unarmed man in a car at point blank range in Queens, prosecutors said.
Avita Campbell and her son Raymond Jackson were indicted Friday in the shooting death of a man in Far Rockaway on September 23, according to Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz.
"It is hard to image a mother teaming up with her son to commit murder, but that is sadly what happened here. The defendants charged in this case sought out the victim with the intent to do him harm," Katz said. "This was vicious, senseless revenge over a petty dispute."
According to the charges, the mother and son were seen on surveillance video stopping their white BMW on Beach 31st Street just before 6 p.m. They got out of the car, Campbell armed with appeared to be a metal pipe and Jackson with a handgun, and approached a man who was in a double parked car. Jackson then fired in the direction of the victim, 27-year-old Lasaaun Lawrence, more than a dozen times, according to court papers.
Lawrence was shot multiple times, the district attorney said, and after her son stopped firing, Campbell bashed the windshield of the victim's car. Both mom and son then got back in their car and took off, court papers said.
Lawrence, who lived in the neighborhood, died as a result of the multiple gunshot wounds. Ten days after the shooting, Campbell was pulled over for a traffic stop. Officers executing a search warrant searched the vehicle — the same white BMW — and allegedly found a loaded silver and black firearm with two magazines inside a backpack. The police arrested Campbell on weapons charges.
The gun that was found inside the car was tested, and ballistics showed it was a match for the gun used to kill Lawrence, according to the indictment. In addition to the gun, officers found nearly $10,000 in cash, credit cards in other people's names and a detailed ledger containing the names and personal information of more than 700 people.
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Campbell, who lives in Valley Stream on Long Island, was arraigned Friday morning. In addition to second degree murder, the 38-year-old faces charges including weapons possession, criminal mischief, unlawful possession of personal identification and more.
It was not immediately clear if Campbell had hired an attorney. She was ordered held without bail, and is scheduled to appear back in court in January.
Meanwhile Jackson still has not been caught, despite being indicted. When the 22-year-old is arrested, he will face similar murder and weapons charges.
If convicted, both Campbell and Jackson could face life in prison.
