In New York City, two men are currently facing allegations of attempted murder and theft, following their indictment by the Nassau County District Attorney. This groundbreaking news surfaces less than a week after one of the duo was handed down a significant sentence for inflicting gunshot wounds on a pair of NYPD officers. The District Attorney, Anne T. Donnelly, broadcasted the indictment this Thursday, referencing a separate incident that occurred in Hempstead last year, where a woman on her way home from work was assaulted.
One of the accused, a 20-year-old man named Bernardo Raul Castro Mata originating from East Elmhurst, Queens, was just recently punished with a maximum of 28 years behind bars. This sentence was a result of charges stemming from him discharging his firearm at two officers of the New York Police Department during what should have been a routine traffic stop. This case unfolded in Queens a mere fortnight after the attempted murder and robbery occurred in Hempstead.
Subsequent to these troubling events, details have emerged about the encounter between Mata and NYPD officers. Officers Richard Yarusso and Christopher Abreu attempted to halt Mata while he was driving a motorcycle without registration papers in the incorrect direction along Ditmars Boulevard. This incident took place at approximately 1:40 a.m. on June 3rd, 2024. As the encounter progressed, gunshots were exchanged, with Mata targeting Officer Yarusso’s lower chest and Officer Abreu’s leg before he himself was struck by a bullet.
After the shootout, the law enforcement officers managed to apprehend Mata and he was subsequently taken into custody. Meanwhile, the initial crime in Hempstead reportedly unfolded at approximately 12:35 a.m. on May 22, 2024. Authorities disclosed that during this episode, Mata, in tandem with another individual named Frederick Morillo Chavez, aged 21, stalked a woman who had just disembarked from a bus on Front Street.
The duo allegedly rode up to the woman from behind on a moped, and proceeded to threaten her with a firearm. Their intention, according to Donnelly, was to steal the contents of her bags. In the course of this confrontation, the woman was shot in the arm by Mata, but managed to survive the attack.
Alongside Mata, Morillo Chavez was apprehended by the Nassau county police force on May 16. Law enforcement authorities kept Mata in confinement since June of 2024 due to the charges he faced in connection to the Queens police shooting. Additional information provided by officials reveals an association between the pair and the international crime syndicate Tren de Aragua.
Tren de Aragua is a prominent Venezuelan gang whose operations have recently caught the attention of the Trump administration, leading to its classification as a foreign terrorist organization earlier this year. On this matter, District Attorney Donnelly issued a statement on Thursday detailing the alarming increase in gang activity in New York City linked to Tren de Aragua over the past year.
Donnelly also mentioned that, in her capacity as District Attorney, she is handling the inaugural case in Nassau County that is tied to this international criminal network. Both Mata and Morillo Chavez have been indicted on a variety of charges, inclusive of attempted murder, assault, robbery, among other serious offenses.
Despite the grave allegations, each man pleaded not guilty during their initial court appearances. Mata’s next scheduled court date is set for July 7, while Morillo Chavez will be presented before the court on July 15. If found guilty, both individuals face a potential maximum sentence of 25 years in jail.
Mata’s previous sentencing in relation to the police shooting incident in Queens was documented on May 20. The official court dockets indicate that Mata entered a guilty plea to charges of second-degree attempted murder and second-degree assault. As per the verdict by Queens Supreme Court Justice Kenneth Holder, Mata was sentenced earlier this week to a prison term of 28 years.
A comprehensive look at the sentencing reveals a 25-year jail term for the attempted murder charge, alongside five years of closely monitored supervision following his release. The assault charge tacked another three-year term, again coupled with three additional years of post-release supervision. The two sentences will be served consecutively.
The Queen’s District Attorney was quoted saying that the survival of the two police officers targeted in the shooting was ‘simply a miracle’. Furthermore, it is also reported that a loaded Hi-Point .380-caliber pistol was found at the crime scene in relation to the previous police shooting case