Angel Mother Urges Action from Incoming DHS Chief After Son’s Murder by Gang Member

California mother Angie Morfin, whose 13-year-old son Ruben was executed at point-blank range by an illegal immigrant gang member 34 years ago, has a powerful message for incoming Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin: “Make sure no other mother has to get the call I did.”

In an exclusive interview with The American Border Story, shared with Fox News Digital, Morfin recounted the devastating loss that changed her life forever. “Ruben was just a little boy with dreams of growing up, getting married, and having a family of his own,” she said. “For 34 years I’ve fought to keep his memory alive, so he didn’t die in vain.”

The tragedy occurred in the winter of 1990 near Orange County, California. Ruben, a young Hispanic teenager with no gang affiliations, was walking with friends to a party when he was chased down and shot in the back of the head by Ezequiel Mariscal, a Mexican national and member of the Posole street gang.

Morfin had sent her son to stay with his grandparents during the holidays, hoping to keep him away from gang activity in their Oceanside neighborhood. The decision makes the tragedy even more painful. “I cry for him today, like if it was just yesterday,” she shared.

She vividly recalls receiving the devastating midnight call from her screaming mother: “They shot Nino, they shot Nino.” The family called Ruben “Nino” because of his small stature. The drive to the hospital was “probably the longest ride of my life,” Morfin said.

At the hospital, doctors delivered the grim news that Ruben was dying and, if he survived, would likely remain in a vegetative state due to his severe brain injury. Against her husband’s advice to remember their son as he was, Morfin insisted on seeing Ruben one last time before life support was withdrawn.

“I could see my baby on that table. His body was shaking from all the machines he had on. He had bandages on his head, and his eye was hanging out,” she recalled. “I asked if I could give him one last kiss before they cut [life support]. And I walked close to my baby, and I gave him his last kiss. In his good eye, he had two teardrops.”

According to Morfin, Mariscal had been previously deported before the shooting. After murdering Ruben, he fled to Mexico and was later sentenced to 45 years in a Mexican state prison.

The tragedy transformed Morfin into a passionate advocate. She founded Moms Against Gang Violence, a California-based advocacy group pushing for stricter law enforcement. She has testified before Congress on immigration enforcement issues, describing her advocacy as “my way of keeping him alive.”

Morfin expressed hope that Senator Mullin, who will take the reins at DHS at the end of January, “will continue to listen to Angel Families and stand with us as we fight to make sure no other mother has to get the call I did.”

She praised President Donald Trump’s hardline stance on illegal immigration, saying “it takes guts to do what he’s doing” and that “he helped me give my son a voice.” In contrast, she criticized current Democratic policies, claiming they “only have one agenda… to bring in more Democrats.”

Nicole Kiprilov, executive director of The American Border Story, emphasized that the Morfins’ experience is a “heartbreaking reminder that behind every statistic is a child whose life was stolen and a family forced to live with that loss forever.”

“Angel Families like Angie’s have spent decades fighting to make sure their loved ones are not forgotten,” Kiprilov added. “We’re hopeful that Secretary Mullin will continue listening to these families and put the safety of American communities first.”

Morfin’s story highlights the ongoing national debate about immigration enforcement and border security policies, with victims’ families often finding themselves at the center of these contentious political discussions. Her decades-long advocacy represents both a personal mission to honor her son and a broader policy campaign focused on preventing similar tragedies.