A man accused of shooting and killing two New York Police Department (NYPD) officers is in the United States illegally, local police authorities have confirmed.
Bernardo Raul Castro Mata, a 19-year-old from Venezuela, is accused of shooting and killing two NYPD officers during a foot pursuit early Monday morning, New York City authorities said. AnnouncedAuthorities also confirmed that Mata entered the United States illegally last year through Eagle Pass, Texas. (RELATED: Illegal immigrant accused of murdering Laken Riley pleads innocent)
“What we know is that this shooter entered the country from Venezuela. He entered the country through Eagle Pass, Texas, in July of 2023,” Chief of Detectives Joe Kenney said at a press conference Monday.
“We know he entered the country illegally, and we’re currently looking into a pattern involving him in Queens,” he said. [phone snatches] In one case, a woman was assaulted and her credit card was stolen and eventually used at a tobacco store in Queens,” Kenney continued.
New York Police Department (NYPD) officers patrol on motorcycles before US President Joe Biden’s motorcade arrives in New York City on February 26, 2024. Biden is in New York for a campaign event. (Photo: Charlie Trivallo/AFP) (Photo: Charlie Trivallo/AFP via Getty Images)
Authorities said the shooting happened early Sunday morning in the Elmhurst neighborhood of Queens when two officers attempted to stop a suspect on a moped driving the wrong way, but the suspect, believed to be Mata, fled on foot.
During the foot pursuit, the suspect fired multiple shots at officers, who returned fire.
“One officer was shot in the front of his bulletproof vest and the other was shot in the leg,” Police Commissioner Edward Cabán said.
The two officers were taken to Elmhurst Hospital and were listed in “stable condition.” Mata was shot in the right ankle and was taken by medical personnel to NewYork-Presbyterian Queens Hospital.
Kenney also confirmed that Mata was living at the Landing Family Shelter, a former Courtyard Marriott hotel that is now used to house migrants in the city. Police also noted that the gun Mata allegedly used was not legally owned.
Police suspect Mata is part of a network of other bikers who patrol the city and commit crimes including shootings and robberies.
“Let me just give you a quick rundown of how often these crimes occur: from January 1 to June 1, 2022, there have been zero robberies involving e-scooters or motorcycles,” Kenney said.
“In the same period in 2023, there were 20 robbery patterns. So far this year, from January 1 to June 1, 2024, there have been more than 80 robbery patterns in the city, including cases where the perpetrators were riding electric scooters and motorcycles,” he explained.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement did not immediately confirm Mata’s legal status to the Daily Caller News Foundation.
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