A man was allegedly shot in the face by illegal immigrants last month.
The 42-year-old victim has undergone multiple surgeries to address severe injuries to his face, teeth, and tongue after being shot by 21-year-old Miguel Francisco Mora Nunez during a botched robbery in Fort Washington Park.
During the incident, a federal agent who responded with his own firearm was also shot in the wrist, which caused a fracture requiring surgery.
Mora Nunez, currently hospitalized, has been charged with attempted murder. His alleged accomplice, 22-year-old Christian Ebal Velour, was arrested at the Manhattan Supreme Court on related state charges.
Prosecutor Abrams described the victim’s traumatic injuries, highlighting Mora Nunez and Velour’s connection to the July 19 shooting of an off-duty federal agent, which resulted in serious, lasting harm to the victim.
“Both defendants also face charges related to another robbery that occurred just moments prior,” added Abrams.
Mora Nunez, an illegal immigrant facing first-degree attempted murder charges, pleaded not guilty while appearing in court from his hospital bed, still in a yellow gown.
Velour, in a brown prison jumpsuit, admitted he would not engage in further violent crime. The judge set bail at $1, but both remain in custody due to federal charges connected to violent acts near the George Washington Bridge.
District Attorney Alvin Bragg noted that the two had allegedly planned robberies in the park using a secure messaging app, aiming to target individuals.
The pair arrived at the park around 11:50 PM and stole a woman’s phone before encountering the federal agent by a pier. Mora Nunez dismounted from his moped, brandishing a firearm, and shot the agent, injuring him before an unidentified agent returned fire.
The assailants then fled on the moped, racing to a hospital in the Bronx.
Mora Nunez was arrested at the hospital shortly after, followed by Velour the next day.
Both individuals had crossed the southern border illegally and were released prior to their immigration hearings. They also faced numerous arrests by the NYPD but had not been held in custody.
Mora Nunez is also facing two open cases in the Bronx and another in Massachusetts, and is currently in custody as an ICE detainee.
