The mother of an 18-year-old Ohio man found with an AK-47 in a midtown Manhattan subway said her son wasn't contemplating any crime and simply thought it would be appropriate to visit New York with an assault weapon in his possession.

On Saturday, the mother of suspect Saadiq Teague messaged a Daily News reporter, saying, "I BEG the media to stop painting a bad image of my son who was misinformed of the gun laws in NY."

“He was taking his first trip to Times Square to see it in person. He was ecstatic and overjoyed, and he had no other excuse to be in New York!” she exclaimed.

Teague, whose father was killed in a police shootout in Columbus, Ohio, last month, was apprehended about 12:30 p.m. Friday inside the 42nd St./Port Authority station, where he was sitting near a mobile phone charging station with the AK-47 in plain sight.

A magazine was not installed in the rifle. According to law enforcement reports, Teague had access to a magazine and ammunition.

Before being charged with several counts of gun possession and illegal use of drug paraphernalia, Teague was interviewed by investigators from the NYPD Intelligence Bureau. According to a source, he told cops he owned the weapon legally in another state.

Cops also discovered a gas mask that Teague had tied to a bong while smoking marijuana, according to reports.

The young suspect posted an Instagram video ragging on New York just minutes before his arrest, showing a black, metal object sticking out of his backpack.

As he walked down the street, the young man yelled into the window, "F—- New York!" The time was 12:18 p.m., according to the timestamp.

He screamed, grinning from ear to ear, "I want to go home!" “Let's go back to Columbus!”

It's unclear if the assault weapon seen in his backpack in the Instagram video was the same one.

“I adore each and every one of you!” On Friday night, cops marched Teague out of the NYPD's Transit District 1 headquarters at Columbus Circle in handcuffs, screaming at reporters. The date of his arraignment was set for Saturday.

Teague's mother defended her son, claiming he was a "Grade A high school graduate" with no criminal record.

She went on to say that her son was "IN NO WAY SHAPE OR FORM" connected to the incident in which his father died.

The mother wrote, "He works to support his family and neighbors." “He has a village behind him that will be praying for him and assisting him in understanding and healing from this.”

Andrew Teague, Teague's father, died March 5 after a shootout with police in Columbus, according to reports.

Police attempted to execute an arrest warrant for a Feb. 2 shooting when the elder Teague pulled away, according to media reports.

Officers called off their car chase, but a police helicopter remained on the lookout for him. According to sources, Teague pulled over on an interstate highway, where police in patrol cars spotted him and resumed the search.

Before getting out of his car and confronting the officers with a knife, Teague sped the wrong way down the highway, hitting two cars. In the subsequent shootout, he was killed.

According to his online obituary, Andrew Teague left behind eight children, including Saadiq, and six grandchildren. According to the obituary, he often discussed starting a family company, mentoring, and participating in reentry programs.

The obituary said, "He apparently had this secret talent of making people feel as if they alone filled his heart, not realizing that there were many special places in his heart just for each of us." “Drew devoted his life to ensuring the safety of everyone he cared for no matter what!”