By Forum Staff
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Bernardo Raul Castro Mata was indicted on Wednesday for allegedly shooting two City cops who attempted to pull him over on June 3 for driving the wrong way on a one-way street without a helmet on an unregistered motorcycle in East Elmhurst.
Mata, 19, has been charged on a 20-count indictment with two counts of attempted murder in the first degree; two counts of attempted murder in the second degree; two counts of attempted assault in the first degree; two counts of attempted aggravated assault upon a police officer; two counts of criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree; four counts of assault in the second degree; resisting arrest; obstructing governmental administration in the second degree; reckless driving; driving a vehicle the wrong way on a one way roadway; operating or riding upon a motorcycle without a helmet; and operating or driving a motorcycle without proper license plates.
According to the charges:
On Monday, June 3 at approximately 1:40 a.m., NYPD Police Officers Christopher Abreu and Richard Yarusso and Sgt. Nicholas Condos were on patrol in an unmarked police vehicle while wearing NYPD uniforms.
The officers and sergeant observed Mata operating an unregistered motorcycle and driving the wrong way down Ditmars Boulevard near 90th Street in East Elmhurst. Mata was not wearing a helmet while operating the motorcycle.
Mata was also observed weaving the motorcycle onto the sidewalk with pedestrians present.
Yarusso and his sergeant exited the unmarked police vehicle and tried to approach Mata, at which point the defendant ditched the motorcycle and fled the scene on foot.
Yarusso began a foot pursuit while Abreu followed Mata in the unmarked vehicle. Condos pursued Mata using the motorcycle that the defendant had been operating.
After catching up to the defendant in the vicinity of 23rd Avenue and 89th Street, Abreu attempted to place Mata under arrest, but he began resisting arrest by twisting his body, flailing his arms and reaching inside a bag he was wearing across his chest.
Yarusso attempted to help Abreu place Mata in handcuffs and the two officers struggled with the defendant on the ground. During the struggle, Mata removed a firearm from his crossbody bag and shot Yarusso in the lower chest at point-blank range. The officer’s bullet-resistant vest stopped the bullet. Mata also shot Abreu, striking him in the upper right thigh area.
Abreu returned fire, shooting Mata in the foot and ankle area, at which point he let go of the firearm and was placed in handcuffs.
Both officers were treated for their injuries and released from an area hospital.
Police recovered a loaded Hi-Point .380-caliber pistol at the scene as well as two deformed fired bullets, nine bullet fragments, three discharged .380-caliber shell casings, and four 9 mm discharged shell casings.
If convicted of the top count, Mata faces a potential maximum sentence of up to 40 years to life in prison for each charge of attempted murder in the first degree.
