Second suspect in custody after shooting of off-duty Border Protection officer in NYC
HARLEM, New York (WABC) -- An off-duty Customs and Border Protection officer who was shot in the face is recovering after an apparent botched robbery in Fort Washington Park on Saturday.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced in a news conference Monday morning that a second suspect was in custody in connection to the incident near the George Washington Bridge.
Both suspects, Christhian Aybar-Berroa and Miguel Francisco Mora Nunez, are undocumented immigrants from the Dominican Republic, officials say.
Mayor Eric Adams said both men have lengthy criminal records and both men should have been deported months ago.
Video of the incident released by the Department of Homeland security shows two men on a moped approach the 42-year-old officer who was with a female companion. The officer was shot in the face and arm but fired back with his service weapon, hitting the gunman's leg.
Aybar-Berroa has been arrested eight times between March and April of last year for grand larcenies and robberies.
Officials had previously announced the arrest of 21-year-old Nunez, who they say was in the country illegally and has a history of violence in recent months.
Noem said Nunez remained in the United States despite having been ordered deported back to the Dominican Republic two years ago. They say he has an active warrant for kidnapping in Massachusetts.
Adams says the suspect is wanted for a robbery and stabbing in the Bronx and is exactly the type of individual the city is cooperating with the federal government to try and capture.
"I am very clear, always have been clear, stop the revolving door system, go after the dangerous migrants and asylum seekers who are here and allow hardworking people who are in this city to go on with their lives as they go through the process," Adams said.
Noem and Border Czar Tom Homan repeatedly blamed sanctuary city policies - including specifically the mayor and City Council - for the two suspects remaining on the streets.
"How many more lives will it take, how many more people have to be hurt and victimized before we have public safety be a number one priority in some of our largest cities," Noem said. "When I look at what Mayor Adams has done to New York City, it breaks my heart to see the families that have suffered because of his policies."
New York's sanctuary city laws forbid city agencies from cooperating with immigration agents in all but criminal cases. The NYPD is forbidden from notifying ICE if a suspect in custody is undocumented.
As a result, Homan said "we're gonna flood the zone" with agents on the streets to detain criminals in sanctuary cities.
DHS says both suspects entered the country illegally during the Biden Administration. Federal charges are expected.
The officer is still recovering at the hospital and is expected to survive.
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