In a recent development, Bernardo Castro Mata, a 19-year-old illegal immigrant from Venezuela, has been identified as the suspect in the shooting of two New York Police Department officers during a traffic stop in Queens earlier this week.
Mata, who had unlawfully entered the United States in July 2023, had his immigration case dismissed less than a year later. Despite his arrest upon entry, he was released shortly thereafter and assigned to an immigration court in Chicago, which subsequently released him without granting or denying asylum.
Post-release, Mata relocated to New York, taking up residence in a hotel converted into a migrant shelter near LaGuardia Airport. The incident in question occurred on Monday when Mata, driving the wrong way on a Queens street on his motorized scooter, was approached by law enforcement officers. As reported by the New York Post, Mata responded by opening fire on the officers.
The Chicago court's decision to dismiss Mata's case effectively terminated his "removal proceedings," allowing him to remain in the country without the obligation to leave. However, this decision also barred him from applying for benefits, monetary aid, or work permits. He retained the option to re-apply for asylum or seek legal status in the US through other avenues. The implications of the shooting on his status are yet to be determined as officials deliberate on his charges.
The shooting transpired in the early hours of Monday in the Elmhurst neighborhood of Queens. As Mata navigated down 89th Street, the officers attempted to intercept him. Mata continued for a few blocks before abandoning his scooter and brandishing a gun, later confirmed to have been obtained illegally.
Mata is alleged to have shot both officers, hitting one in the chest and the other in the leg. The officer shot in the chest, who was wearing a bullet-proof vest, sustained a graze, while the other officer was injured. One of the officers returned fire, striking Mata in the ankle. Both officers were subsequently transported to a nearby hospital for treatment.
While Mata had no prior criminal record, he was under investigation for a series of "snatch and grab" robberies in the city, reminiscent of those perpetrated by members of the Tren de Aragua gang.
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