EAST ELMHURST, Queens (PIX11) – The man accused of shooting two police officers in Queens early Monday had entered the U.S. illegally last year, according to the NYPD.
Police identified the suspect as 19-year-old Bernardo Raul Castro-Mata, originally from Venezuela. Castro-Mata allegedly drove a scooter the wrong way down a one-way street when officers tried to pull him over, according to the NYPD.
He ditched the scooter and ran from the officers on foot before opening fire, police said.
Here's what we know so far.
Castro-Mata crossed into the U.S. at Eagle Pass, Texas, last July, according to NYPD Det. Joe Kenny. He is currently staying at a migrant shelter located at 90-10 Ditmars Boulevard, which is a former Courtyard Marriott hotel.
Castro-Mata has no prior arrests in New York City, but is suspected in several robberies where he rides a scooter, Kenny said. Police believe that Castro-Mata is not operating alone, and is part of a crew riding on scooters, according to the NYPD.
"We're looking at him for several other robbery patterns in the Queens area where he does have other co-defendants," Kenny said.
Castro-Mata is suspected of attacking a woman during one incident and stealing her credit card, according to the NYPD. The credit card was later used at a Queens smoke shop.
He's currently in surgery at NewYork-Presbyterian Queens after he was shot in the ankle by one of the officers, police said. The gun used in the shooting was recovered at the scene, according to the NYPD.
Erin Pflaumer is a digital content producer from Long Island who has covered both local and national news since 2018. She joined PIX11 in 2023. See more of her work here.
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