Murder suspect arrested after exchanging gunfire with New Rochelle Police in Brooklyn
BROOKLYN, New York (WABC) -- A suspect, wanted in connection to a murder in New Rochelle, was arrested after exchanging gunfire with officers in Brooklyn Sunday.
According to the NYPD, the incident happened in the morning at Myrtle Avenue and Fleet Walk in Fort Greene near a NYCHA building complex.
They say New Rochelle Police had been watching the location after spotting the male suspect's car.
When they spotted the Dodge, parked in a lot at the NYCHA complex, they knew they were close.
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The team, from Westchester County, was in Fort Greene tracking the suspect, wanted in connection to a murder in New Rochelle on Thursday.
Sources tell Eyewitness News, the 52-year-old suspect walked out of a building around 10:30 a.m. and first started shooting at police, who returned fire.
Surveillance video showed a plain clothes officer from New Rochelle getting out of his car, pulling out his weapon and firing.
"All of a sudden you hear 'hey, hey,' and guys running from them, officer running up and all of a sudden cops pull up 'bam, bam, bam,' guys hiding behind a tree," nearby resident Germain Diaz said.
There were additional officers on the opposite side of the suspect, and people scattered.
"We all jump to the ground, lady fall in front of me, guy fell came back up, old man tripped, started flying," Germain said.
It's not clear how many shots were fired.
A bullet even whizzed out of the complex clear across Myrtle Avenue and pierced the front glass window of a vacant business.
Police believe the suspect is the man who killed a part-time taxi driver in New Rochelle on Thursday.
The victim, 62-year-old Andres Valenzuela, had just wrapped up his shift and was parking his car at the usual spot at a catering hall on Main Street, when the suspect shot him twice.
Additionally, Eyewitness News was told that authorities in Connecticut were also searching for the suspect for his alleged role in an attempted murder in that state.
Incredibly, no one was hit with bullets this morning, but many are concerned with how this all went down.
"If you look at NYCHA development, we have low windows so those shots could have gone into any one of those windows," community activist Shanduke McPhatter said.
The suspect was taken into custody and a gun was recovered at the scene.
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