Long Island mom, son indicted in Far Rockaway killing, Queens DA says

A Long Island mother and her son face murder charges for "teaming up" to kill an unarmed man last month in Far Rockaway over a petty dispute, authorities said Friday.

Avita Campbell, 38, of Valley Stream, and Raymond Jackson, 22, whose hometown was not listed, were indicted by a grand jury in the slaying of Lasaaun Lawrence, 27, who was inside a vehicle in Far Rockaway when he was fatally shot the afternoon of Sept. 23, prosecutors said.

Campbell is in custody and the search for Jackson is ongoing, Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said.

"It is hard to imagine a mother teaming up with her son to commit murder, but that is sadly what happened here," Katz said in a statement. "The defendants charged in this case sought out the victim with the intent to do harm. … This was vicious, senseless revenge over a petty dispute."

Prosecutors did not specify what the dispute between the Far Rockaway man and the defendants was about.

Campbell was arraigned Friday in Queens Supreme Court on charges including second-degree murder, second- and third-degree criminal possession of a weapon, and second-degree unlawful possession of personal identification information.

She is being held without bail, officials said.

Her attorney, Michael Kushner, could not be reached Friday.

Jackson fired "more than a dozen rounds" from close range at Lawrence while his mother was armed with a metal pipe, Katz said.

When arrested, Jackson also faces charges of second-degree murder, second-degree criminal possession of a weapon and second-degree unlawful possession of personal identification information, officials said.

Prosecutors said Campbell and Jackson were caught on video stopping their BMW, driven by Campbell, before they exited and approached Lawrence who was inside of a car that was double parked in Far Rockaway. Jackson then fired multiple times at the victim. Campbell then took the metal pipe and broke the windshield of the car Lawrence was in, officials said.

Campbell was pulled over Oct. 2. Authorities then used a search warrant on the BMW used during the fatal shooting and found a firearm that ballistic tests later showed was the gun used in Lawrence’s homicide, officials said.