Police have arrested the 14-year-old boy’s mother and aunt, who are accused of murdering a Newark officer.
Rabiyah Sorey, 43, the mother of the teen accused of murdering Detective Joseph Azcona on March 7, was identified by New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin as the alleged leader of the Double ii, a Bloods-affiliated street gang.
Sorey, her twin sister Hadiyah Sorey, and 24 other alleged gang members or associates were arrested by state authorities on March 24th, according to court documents reviewed by The New York Post.
Rabiyah is currently charged with felony racketeering, conspiracy, assault, as well as drug and firearms offenses.
Authorities claim Double ii operated an open-air drug operation in the 200 block of North 9th Street.
Just days before their arrest, the New York Post interviewed Hadiyah Sorey on North 9th Street about her nephew and the allegations against him, during which she openly boasted about earning $4,000 per day from drug sales.
“I got the whole north behind me,” Hadiyah Sorey said, referring to Newark’s North Ward. “I do what the f–k I wanna do.”
Investigators claim that nine people worked as “creepers” for Double ii, distributing heroin, cocaine, and fentanyl for the gang, and that these “creepers” also committed acts of violence under Rabiyah Sorey’s orders, including assaults on those who crossed her.
Other people reportedly took on roles as supervisors or enforcers for the organization.
Wiretaps and surveillance footage helped detectives connect Rabiyah to at least four shootings between April 2023 and December.
According to authorities, the gang ran a drug manufacturing facility inside Sorey’s home in Elizabeth.
During the raid, officers seized approximately $17,000 in cash, as well as drug paraphernalia such as empty glassine envelopes, tape, rubber bands, and digital scales, according to prosecutors.
“Illegal drug trafficking continues to impact the lives of New Jerseyans, and gangs like the one described in today’s criminal complaints seek to profit from the sale of these potentially fatal drugs,” said Platkin in a statement.
“This particular drug enterprise is charged with routinely engaging in violence for the sake of intimidating others, maintaining gang discipline, and controlling their territory. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to protect our cities and towns from these criminal organizations,” Platkin continued.
