By: Richard L. Smith
A jury has found two Newark residents guilty in connection with a deadly shooting that claimed the lives of two teenagers in the city in 2022, according to information released by the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office.
Matthew Colon, 24, and Tashauna Hairston were each convicted of two counts of first-degree murder and two counts of first-degree conspiracy to commit murder.
Colon was also found guilty of additional weapons offenses, including second-degree unlawful possession of a handgun and second-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose.
Prosecutors said the evidence showed that on May 19, 2022, Hairston drove Colon to the 400 block of Mt. Prospect Avenue. 
Colon, along with two other masked individuals, exited the vehicle and opened fire, fatally shooting 18-year-olds Angel Vargas and Saeed Jan, both of Newark.
Authorities said Colon later fled New Jersey and was eventually captured in Tampa, Florida with assistance from federal law enforcement.
The case was tried before Superior Court Judge Michael Ravin and prosecuted by Assistant Prosecutors Austin Edwards and Mattison Monteleone.
“Angel and Saeed’s families have endured the unthinkable, and we hope they find some comfort and closure with this result,” Edwards said in a statement.
Monteleone added that the verdict underscores that anyone involved in a homicide will be held responsible, even if they were not the individual who pulled the trigger.
Investigators from the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, the Homicide Task Force, and the Newark Police Division were credited for their work throughout the investigation.
Colon and Hairston are scheduled to be sentenced on February 25, 2026. Each faces a potential sentence of 30 years to life in prison for each murder conviction.