An undocumented immigrant accused of shooting and killing two NYPD officers in Queens was indicted on attempted murder and other charges Wednesday, with prosecutors describing how the suspect allegedly fired shots at “close range” during a struggle on the ground.
Bernardo Raul Castro Mata, 19, appeared remotely from his hospital bed for his arraignment in Queens Criminal Court in connection with the shooting deaths of officers Richard Iarrusso and Christopher Abreu.
Judge Jeffrey Gershuny ordered Castro Mato, who is recovering from a gunshot wound to the ankle, held without bail on charges of attempted murder, assault, unlawful possession of a weapon, resisting arrest and obstructing governmental administration, according to the New York Daily News. More than 50 police officers attended the hearing to show support for Iarrusso and Abreu.
Queens Assistant District Attorney Lauren Riley said Castro Mata “is a veritable flight risk” after “fleeing uniformed officers and then shooting and killing two officers.”
Authorities said Iarrusso and Abreu were investigating a robbery involving thieves riding mopeds and scooters when they spotted Castro Mata riding a scooter without a helmet going the wrong way on 82nd Street near 23rd Street in East Elmhurst around 1:40 a.m. Monday. In court Wednesday, prosecutors said Castro Mata was riding an “unregistered motorcycle.” Daily News report.
House Republicans use AOC’s insults to silence two police officers allegedly shot and killed by immigrant gang member “Baby Girl”
When officers tried to stop the migrant, he fled on foot. One officer pursued him on foot while the other pursued him in a patrol car. The officers quickly wrestled Castro Mata to the ground.
Bernardo Castro Mata, 19, appeared in Queens Criminal Court on Wednesday, June 5, 2024, on charges including attempted murder for the shooting deaths of NYPD officers Christopher Abreu and Richard Yarusso. (Barry Williams/New York Daily News/Pool/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
“During the struggle, [Castro Mata] “The defendant reached into a crossbody bag that was hanging across his chest, removed a firearm, placed the firearm against Officer Iarrusso’s chest and shot Officer Iarrusso at close range, striking him in the lower part of the chest,” Riley said, according to the Daily News. “The defendant then struck Officer Abreu in the upper right thigh.”
Judge Gershuny ordered that Castro Mata be transferred to Rikers Island once he is released from the hospital.
“Having used any means necessary to escape and resorted to violence to evade a traffic stop, this court has no doubt that he would use any means necessary to escape,” the judge said.
Police said Iarrusso was wearing a bulletproof vest, which saved his life. Two officers were treated at Elmhurst Hospital, where Iarrusso pushed Abreu, who was released from the hospital a few hours after the shooting, in a wheelchair. Police returned fire during the struggle, hitting Castro Mata in the ankle. He was taken to NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital in Queens for treatment.
Patrick Hendry, president of the New York City Police Benevolent Association, addressed reporters outside the Queens courthouse after Castro Mata’s arraignment. (New York PBA)
Venezuelan immigrant kills two NYPD officers during foot pursuit in Queens, authorities say
“That night, they were confronted by a brazen, violent individual who was unafraid to arm himself with a gun and who shot two NYPD officers at close range,” Patrick Hendry, president of the New York City Police Benevolent Association, said at a news conference outside the courthouse.
“The skill and grit of these two officers is why they not only survived, but why they were able to stop this individual from harming anyone else. Today, this court sent a message that we support these officers who put their lives on the line every day, just as they and all NYPD officers put their lives on the line to protect New Yorkers,” Hendry said, surrounded by dozens of officers. “But the message needs to be consistent: in every borough, in every courthouse in this city, if you assault a police officer, you will be prosecuted. And our public safety people owe it to every New Yorker, to every police officer, to put in place systems that protect us all.”
Officer Richard Iarrusso, who was shot in the chest and survived thanks to a vest, carries his partner, Officer Christopher Abreu, who was shot in the leg, out of Elmhurst Hospital in a wheelchair as NYPD leaders and officers applaud on Monday, June 3, 2024. (Luis C. Ribeiro, New York Daily News/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
Police said Castro Mata entered the country illegally from near El Paso, Texas, in July of last year and was staying at a migrant shelter in a former airport hotel in the Elmhurst neighborhood of Queens. Citing sources, the New York Post reported that Castro Mata has tattoos, and that investigators have suggested he may be a member of Venezuela’s “bloodthirsty” Tren de Aragua gang.
Click here to get the FOX News app
Prosecutors said in court Wednesday that Mastro Mata’s .380-caliber handgun was recovered from the scene with two bullets remaining, one in the chamber and one in the magazine.
Castro Mata had multiple credit cards in his possession, two of which were linked to a robbery carried out at gunpoint by a scooter-riding robber in the Bronx at the time of his arrest. The suspect was suspected of involvement in a string of robberies and a May 30 incident in which investigators believe he pointed a gun at a security guard at a Lottress store in Queens and fled on a scooter.
Following the shooting, police conducted a major crackdown on illegal vehicles on Tuesday night, seizing 72 illegal ATVs, motorcycles and mopeds and three vehicles during the operation.
