Two NYPD Officers Shot By Teen Illegal Alien
Two New York City police officers were shot by a Venezuelan illegal immigrant early Monday morning, according to the New York Post.
The two officers were reportedly working on a robbery pattern involving criminals on mopeds. In the early hours of the morning, 19-year-old migrant Bernardo Castro Mata was seen driving a black scooter the wrong way down the street.
The police attempted to stop the teen migrant as he ditched his moped and fled on foot. As police chased him down, the 19-year-old reportedly pulled out an illegally obtained firearm and shot rapidly at the police.
Officer Christopher Abreu, 26, was shot in the leg, while Officer Richard Yarusso, was struck in the front of his bulletproof vest. Sources say that Yarusso rendered immediate aid to his partner.
One of the officers returned fire and hit Mata in the right ankle, per the Post. Both officers were treated and released from the hospital.
Though Mata has no history of crime, he was being eyed as a suspect in two “violent” snatch-and-grab robberies targeting women in Queens. Mata will reportedly face charges for attempting to murder a police officer and illegal weapons possession.
Law enforcement sources told the Post that the illegal teen entered the US through the Eagle Pass, Texas, sector of the border in July of 2023. Mata reportedly lives at the migrant shelter near LaGuardia Airport in Queens. The shelter is a former Courtyard Marriott Hotel.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams dubbed the actions of the migrant a “senseless act of violence” with “total disregard for life.”
“Our officers responded with a level of discipline, a level of focus, a level of professionalism. Today we thank God,” Adams said.
Non-citizens accused of crimes — regardless of whether it’s petty theft or violent crime — face a higher risk of deportation. Some legal experts claim that violent crimes are treated separately from immigration law, though nearly all experts agree that a guilty verdict in a violent crime would make a non-citizen more susceptible to deportation.
