A 19-year-old Levittown man accused of shooting a 15-year-old boy aboard a Manhattan-bound A train has been returned to New York and ordered held without bail.
Queens, NY – A Long Island teenager accused of shooting a 15-year-old boy aboard a Manhattan-bound A train in Queens has been extradited from Virginia and arraigned on attempted murder and weapons charges. Prosecutors said Matthew Rodriguez, 19, of Levittown, allegedly fired multiple shots during a fight between the victim and a co-defendant on April 27, leaving the teenager hospitalized with life-threatening injuries.
Key Points
• Matthew Rodriguez was arraigned on attempted murder, assault and weapons charges in Queens County.
• Prosecutors allege he shot a 15-year-old boy during a fight aboard a Manhattan-bound A train.
• Rodriguez was arrested in Newport News, Virginia, on May 21 and extradited back to New York.
Rodriguez appeared before Queens Supreme Court Justice Bruna DiBiase on Thursday and was remanded into custody. If convicted on the top charge, he faces up to 25 years in prison.
Shooting followed subway altercation
According to the Queens County District Attorney’s Office, the incident occurred at approximately 6 p.m. as an A train traveled between the 105th Street and 80th Street stations. Investigators said the victim approached Rodriguez and a 16-year-old co-defendant while moving between subway cars.
Authorities allege the co-defendant, a Far Rockaway resident, became involved in a physical altercation with the victim stemming from an earlier shooting incident in February. Prosecutors said the fight lasted about six minutes before a bystander attempted to separate the two teenagers.
During the struggle, Rodriguez allegedly removed a handgun from a holster strapped to the co-defendant’s ankle and opened fire. The victim was struck in the back and neck, and prosecutors contend Rodriguez fired again after the teenager fell to the floor of the train.
Victim remains hospitalized
Both suspects allegedly fled immediately after the shooting. Emergency responders transported the injured teenager to a local hospital, where he remains under treatment.
Prosecutors said the victim is confined to a hospital bed and is currently unable to walk due to his injuries. District Attorney Melinda Katz described the shooting as another example of ongoing youth gun violence affecting New York City communities.
“As alleged, defendant Rodriguez was under no immediate threat, nor was he directly engaged in the physical altercation when he fired two shots into the victim at point-blank range,” Katz said in a statement announcing the indictment.
Arrests made weeks apart
The 16-year-old co-defendant was arrested at his Far Rockaway home on April 29 by members of the NYPD Warrant Squad. He has been indicted on two counts of criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree and faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted.
Rodriguez remained at large until May 21, when members of the Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force located and arrested him in Newport News, Virginia. He was returned to New York on Wednesday night ahead of his arraignment.
The case is being investigated by detectives assigned to the NYPD’s 103rd Precinct Detective Squad and the Queens Felony Warrant Squad. Queens prosecutors credited the District Attorney’s Extraditions Unit with helping secure Rodriguez’s return to face the charges.