EAST ELMHURST, Queens, NY — Two NYPD officers were shot early Monday morning while investigating a robbery pattern in East Elmhurst, Queens.
The incident occurred at 1:40 a.m. on 23rd Avenue when the officers confronted a suspect on a moped.
The officers, identified as Officer Christopher Abreu, 26, and Officer Richard Yarusso, 26, were wounded during the confrontation with the robbery suspect. Abreu, a five-year veteran of the force, was shot in the leg, while Yarusso was hit by a bullet in his vest and grazed in the stomach. Yarusso has two and a half years of service.
Mayor Eric Adams displayed the bulletproof vest during a press conference later that morning, highlighting where the bullet struck Yarusso’s protective gear.
Adams condemned the violence as a “senseless act” and praised the officers for their professionalism and discipline during the incident.
The NYPD has identified the suspect as Bernardo Raul Castro Mato, a 19-year-old Venezuelan migrant. Mato, who entered the U.S. through Eagle Pass, Texas, in July 2023, was apprehended after being shot in the lower leg during the confrontation with police.
Mato was transported by police to NY Presbyterian Hospital in Queens for treatment of his injuries. A firearm was recovered at the scene of the incident.
According to the NYPD, Mato is suspected of being involved in multiple robbery patterns in Queens, particularly targeting victims’ cellphones. One incident involved an assault on a woman, during which her credit card was stolen and later used in a smoke shop.
NYPD Detective Bureau Chief Joseph Kenny highlighted the use of similar scooters and bikes across the city in various criminal activities, including shootings, robberies, and phone snatches. Mato’s last known address was a migrant shelter at a hotel in Queens.