An illegal alien accused of shooting two New York City police officers had his immigration case dismissed by a judge last month, according to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency.
Bernardo Raul Castro-Mata, a 19-year-old from Venezuela, fired point-blank at the officers who had stopped him for riding his motorbike the wrong way. Castro-Mata told police he had been recruited by a Venezuela gang's robbery crew.
There are about 60 robbery crews that involve young men riding motorbikes, stealing phones, and committing robberies of opportunity in Queens.
New York has been plagued by these thieves riding scooters robbing pedestrians and stores, and making a quick getaway into traffic. Castro-Marta said he was "encouraged to get distinctive tattoos to show his allegiance to the notorious Tren de Aragua gang, police sources told the New York Post.
Castro-Mata entered the country illegally through Eagle Pass, Texas, in July. He was ordered to appear in immigration and on May 6, the judge dismissed his case. ICE didn't say why the case was dismissed. In a classic case of closing the barn door after the horses have fled, ICE slapped an immigration retainer on Castro-Mata.
Castro-Mata has no prior arrests in New York City but is a suspect in several robberies in Queens, Kenny said at the news conference. He was operating an unregistered motorbike, Kenny said.
“Similar scooters and bikes are being used citywide to commit crimes. These crimes include shootings, robberies and phone snatches,” Kenny said.
Police have identified 80 “robbery patterns” across the city, encompassing hundreds of incidents in which perpetrators rode scooters or motorcycles, according to Kenny.
Those "robbery patterns" involve some of the most lucrative criminal activity in the city.
Mata is also being eyed by authorities in Nassau County for a May 22 robbery in Hempstead that left the victim with a gunshot wound to her arm when she tried to fight off her attackers, sources said Wednesday. He allegedly admitted to the crime in an interview with police, the sources added.
According to the sources, police tracked the woman’s stolen AirPods to the shelter where Mata had previously been staying with two suspected accomplices — who investigators believe may have since skipped town for Texas.
In all, Mata faces 17 criminal counts tied to the shooting of Officers Christopher Abreu and Richard Yarusso, both 26, at around 1:40 a.m. Monday in Elmhurst.
Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-N.Y.) took to the House floor to condemn Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) for her silence on the shooting of the two NYPD officers. AOC has been vociferous in her support for illegal immigration, and Malliotakis wanted to know why the open borders advocate didn't care enough about the police officers to speak out.
It’s been over 24 hours and @RepAOC hasn’t said anything about the preventable & senseless shooting of two NYPD officers in her district. How long until these Democrats start putting the safety of American citizens before those coming to our country illegally? pic.twitter.com/sIIpieeXZ5
— Office of Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (@RepMalliotakis) June 4, 2024
She followed that up with a crack referring to her tussle with Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.).
Hey Baby Girl @AOC, two cops were shot in your district by an illegal immigrant who we NOW find out is a Venezuelan gang member being housed in a hotel at our constituents’ expense and you still have NOTHING to say about it?? Really? pic.twitter.com/bwEQvYNC7P
— Nicole Malliotakis (@NMalliotakis)
As of Thursday morning, AOC hasn't said a word about the injured officers.
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