NEW YORK – A Venezuelan migrant who is illegally in the U.S. is accused of being involved in a series of robberies and shooting two New York City police officers early Monday during a chase, according to reports.
The suspect was identified as Bernardo Castro Matta, 19, a migrant from Venezuela. Officials with the New York Police Department said he entered the country illegally through Eagle Pass, Texas and has been living at a former Courtyard Marriott hotel in Queens that is now being used as a migrant shelter, the New York Post reported.
The shooting took place about 1:40 a.m. at the intersection of 89th Street and 23rd Avenue in Queens. The two officers, part of the 115th Precinct’s public safety unit, attempted to stop and detain a male suspect driving a scooter the wrong way in the Elmhurst neighborhood when the man dumped the moped and fled on foot.
As NYPD personnel engaged the suspect in a foot chase, he opened fire, striking both officers. At least one officer returned fire, striking the gunman in the ankle.
During the exchange of gunfire, one of the officers suffered a bullet wound in the leg, while the other was struck in the front of his bulletproof vest.
The suspect was captured and transported to NewYork-Presbyterian Queens to undergo surgery. Both officers were rushed to the hospital in stable condition and are expected to recover, Fox News reported.
The 19-year-old illegal immigrant is believed to be connected to several “snatch and grab” robbery investigations in Queens, NYPD said.
Mayor Eric Adams holds the wounded officer’s body armor, which absorbed a round during the gunfight. (NYPD)
“Every day New Yorkers are not wearing this,” New York City Mayor Eric Adams said during a press conference at the hospital while holding the wounded officer’s bulletproof vest and pointing to the location where the round struck.
“This is what we’re fighting every day,” Adams said, referring to the shooting as a “senseless act of violence” and a “total disregard for life.”
Police recovered the illegally possessed handgun that was used in the shooting.
Police officials said this firearm was used to shoot two of its officers. (NYPD)
The wounded officers were not identified, but officials said one has served the department for five years, while the other has been on the job for just over two years.
President of the Police Benevolent Association in New York City, Patrck Hendry, said the two officers put “their lives on the line to keep New Yorkers safe.”
“The one police officer, shot in the vest, was more concerned about his partner, saving his life, getting a tourniquet,” Hendry said during the press conference. “That’s what partners do in the NYPD; they save each other’s lives.”
Police have seen a dramatic spike in scooters and motorbikes being in NYC crime during the past three years. Suspects have used them during the commission of shootings, robberies and phone snatches, according to NYPD.
