Migrant accused of shooting NYPD cops suspected in snatch-and-grab robberies of two women days earlier
The Venezuelan migrant accused of shooting two NYPD cops on Monday is suspected of helping to rough up two women — one of whom was slugged in the face — during a pair of snatch-and-grab robberies days ago, police and sources said.
Bernardo Castro Mata — a 19-year-old who entered the country illegally last year — was being eyed in the violent May 21 robberies in Queens before the police shooting, sources said.
He may be part of one of several migrant moped-riding robbery crews that have been terrorizing residents around the city for months, police said.
“The patterns that we’re looking at currently in Queens that he’s involved with involve phone snatches and instances where a woman was attacked, her credit card was stolen and eventually used in a Queens smoke shop,’’ NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny told reporters after Monday’s police shooting.
That crime is believed to have involved Mata and another young man on a black and red moped who forcefully swiped their victim’s purse about 7:25 p.m. that Tuesday near 30th Street and 38th Avenue in Long Island City, Queens, sources said.
The purse contained $200, debit and credit cards, an iPhone, MetroCard and documents such as IDs and insurance cards, sources said.
About three hours later, at 10:21 p.m., the criminal pair struck again in Woodhaven in the borough, punching a 38-year-old woman in the face around 88th Street and 88th Avenue and dragging her while making off with her wallet, including debit and credit cards, sources said.
One of her cards was used to try to buy something at a Burger King but was denied, sources said.
“What we’ve seen in the past with these motorized scooters, they operate as a crew,’’ Kenny said. “We’re looking at [Mata] for several other robbery patterns in the Queens area, where he does have other co-defendants.”
NYPD Commissioner Edward Caban added, “Similar scooters and bikes are being used citywide to commit crimes.
“These crimes include shootings, robberies, and phone snatches.”
He said the number of such crimes has soared in the past two years Jan. 1 to June 1, going from zero in 2022 to 20 in 2023 — to more than 80 this year.
“That’s over 80 robbery patterns alone encompassing over hundreds and hundreds of incidents,’’ the commish said.
In February, The Post reported how the brutal Tren de Aragua gang in Venezuela is sending its members to New York City as part of the migrant wave to launch such robberies, with the sprawling criminal enterprise laundering the proceeds.
Everything to know about the two NYPD officers shot by a migrant
A Venezuelan migrant shot two NYPD officers in a wild chase in Queens early Monday — with one of the injured cops frantically rendering aid to his more badly hurt partner, police and sources said.
The suspect, 19-year-old Bernardo Castro Mata, entered the US illegally last year.
Mata shot Officer Richard Yarusso, 26, in his bullet-proof vest and Officer Christopher Abreu, 26, in the leg as the cops wrestled to get his illicit gun away, authorities said.
Mata is also suspected of helping to attack two women — one of whom was slugged in the face — during a pair of snatch-and-grab robberies days ago, police and sources said.
He was already on the cops’ radar Monday as a person of interest for the robberies — which may be part of a slew of crimes run by crews, including a violent gang in at least one case.
Mata has been living in the migrant shelter located in the former Courtyard Marriott Hotel near LaGuardia Airport in Queens.
Mata was charged with two counts of attemptive murder and additionally, two counts each of assault, criminal possession of a weapon and obstruction of governmental administration.
The case against Mata has already been dismissed, the Post has confirmed.
Former President Donald Trump on Monday used the shooting of the NYPD cops as an opportunity to again rip President Biden over his disastrous border policies.
“Biden Migrant Crime is out of control and is ravaging America!” Trump wrote on his social-media site, Truth Social.
“Last night, two brave NYPD officers doing their job were shot by a Monster Illegal Immigrant who came here illegally from Venezuela last year and was living in a tax-payer funded migrant shelter. Crooked Joe Biden has trafficked in the worst people from around the world, many with heinous criminal records, and unleashed them into our communities.”
Trump couldn’t pass up the chance to also blast nemesis Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, who just successfully helped convict him of 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in the GOPer’s hush-money trial, as well as lefty billionaire George Soros, who has given money to Bragg donors.
“Soros-funded DA Alvin Bragg should focus on keeping the streets of New York safe, but has instead wasted time and money engaging in a ridiculous political witch-hunt against yours truly,” Trump raged. “We must focus on finishing the wall, securing our border, and keeping our streets safe. MAGA 2024!”
-Additional reporting by Matt Troutman
