QUEENS: two NYPD cops were shot when they confronted a suspect riding a moped. The cops were investigating some robbery patterns where thugs on scooters have been robbing people. The cops confronted the man riding the moped, who ended up being a 19-year-old illegal immigrant from Venezuela, and the suspect shot both of the cops and took off on foot. Fox News had more details on the moped shooter, saying the following in a crime news report:
The suspect was identified as Bernardo Raul Castro Mata, a 19-year-old man from Venezuela, who police said entered the country illegally through Eagle Pass, Texas, in July 2023. NYPD sources told Fox News that Castro Mata was released in Texas with a future court date, but instead left the area and traveled to New York City.
Castro Mata was living at a former Courtyard Marriott hotel in Queens that is now being used as a migrant shelter, according to police.
Both officers are expected to recover. One officer was shot in the lower leg. The other officer was shot in the body, but his bulletproof vest saved his life.
