A Venezuelan migrant accused of shooting two New York City Police Department officers in Queens was arraigned on charges of attempted murder and other offenses on Wednesday. Prosecutors described how the suspect allegedly fired at “point-blank range” during a struggle on the ground.
Nineteen-year-old Bernardo Raul Castro Mata appeared remotely from his hospital bed for his arraignment in Queens Criminal Court, where he faced charges related to the shooting of Officers Richard Yarusso and Christopher Abreu. Judge Jeffrey Gershuny ordered Castro Mata, who is recovering from a gunshot wound to the ankle, to be held without bail. The charges include attempted murder, assault, criminal possession of a weapon, resisting arrest, and obstructing governmental administration, as reported by the New York Daily News. Over 50 police officers attended the hearing to support Yarusso and Abreu.
Queens Assistant District Attorney Lauren Reilly described Castro Mata as the “very definition of a flight risk,” highlighting that he was “fleeing from uniformed police officers before shooting two police officers.”
Authorities stated that Officers Yarusso and Abreu were investigating a series of robberies involving thieves on mopeds and scooters when they encountered Castro Mata riding a scooter without a helmet and heading the wrong way on 82nd St. near 23rd Ave. in East Elmhurst around 1:40 a.m. on Monday. Prosecutors revealed in court that Castro Mata was operating an “unregistered motorcycle.”
When the officers attempted to stop him, Castro Mata fled on foot. One officer pursued him on foot while the other followed in a police cruiser. The officers managed to tackle Castro Mata to the ground.
“During the struggle, [Castro Mata] reached inside a crossbody bag that was across his chest, removed the firearm, put the gun against Officer Yarusso’s chest, and shot Officer Yarusso in the lower middle portion of his chest at point blank range,” Reilly stated, according to the Daily News. “The defendant then shot Officer Abreu in the upper right thigh area.”
Judge Gershuny ruled that Castro Mata would be transferred to Rikers Island once he is discharged from the hospital.
“Trying to avoid a traffic stop using violence by any means necessary to get away leaves this court with no doubt whatsoever that he would flee by any means possible,” the judge remarked.
Police reported that Yarusso was wearing a bullet-resistant vest, which saved his life. Both officers were treated at Elmhurst Hospital, and Yarusso pushed Abreu out in a wheelchair when they were released hours after the shooting. During the struggle, police returned fire, injuring Castro Mata in the ankle. He was treated at New York-Presbyterian Hospital Queens.
Patrick Hendry, President of the New York City Police Benevolent Association, praised the officers’ bravery at a press conference outside the courthouse. “That night they both confronted a brazen, violent individual who wasn’t afraid to carry a gun and shoot two New York City police officers at point-blank range,” Hendry stated. He emphasized the skill and determination of the officers in stopping the suspect from causing further harm and called for consistent support and prosecution of those who attack police officers.
Police said Castro Mata entered the country illegally last July near El Paso, Texas, and was staying at a former airport hotel-turned-migrant shelter in Queens. According to sources cited by the New York Post, Castro Mata has a tattoo suggesting possible affiliation with Venezuela’s “bloodthirsty” Tren de Aragua gang.
Prosecutors noted that Castro Mata’s .380-caliber pistol, recovered from the scene, had two bullets left—one in the chamber and one in the magazine. At the time of his arrest, Castro Mata was found with multiple credit cards, two of which were linked to gunpoint robberies in the Bronx. He had been a suspect in a string of robberies and a May 30 incident where he allegedly pulled a gun on a security guard at a Lot Less store in Queens and fled on a scooter.
Following the shooting, police conducted a crackdown on illegal vehicles, seizing 72 illegal ATVs, motorbikes, and mopeds, as well as three vehicles during the operation.
