The off-duty Customs and Border Safety officer allegedly shot within the face by an unlawful migrant final month suffered “devastating and lasting accidents” that required a number of surgical procedures, prosecutors revealed on Wednesday.
The 42-year-old sufferer underwent a string of operations to restore his face, enamel and tongue after alleged gunman Miguel Francisco Mora Nunez, 21, shot him within the jaw throughout a botched theft inside Fort Washington Park on July 19, based on Manhattan Assistant District Legal professional Joseph Abrams.
The federal agent – who fired again together with his personal gun in the course of the confrontation – was additionally shot in the appropriate wrist, sustaining fractures that additionally required surgical procedure.
Abrams detailed the sufferer’s ugly accidents as Mora Nunez and his confederate and fellow Dominican Republic nationwide Christhian Aybar-Berroa, 22, have been arraigned on their state prices in Manhattan Supreme Court docket, the place dozens of border patrol brokers packed the chamber.
“The defendant and his co-defendant have each been charged in connection within the taking pictures of an off-duty federal agent in the course of the course of an tried theft on July 19, throughout which they inflicted critical and lasting accidents to the sufferer,” the prosecutor advised the courtroom.
“Each defendants have additionally been charged with one other theft they dedicated minutes earlier.”
Mora Nunez, an unlawful immigrant charged with tried first- and second-degree homicide, appeared just about from a hospital mattress carrying a yellow robe and white sheet as he pleaded not responsible.
Aybar-Berroa, sporting a light-weight brown jail jumpsuit, strolled into courtroom together with his head down and pleaded not responsible to theft, assault and weapons prices by means of an interpreter.
Whereas the choose set bail at $1, the duo will stay in custody on their federal prices, which might be prosecuted alongside the state’s case for the violent encounter close to the purple lighthouse beneath the George Washington Bridge.
Mora Nunez and Aybar-Berro — who every racked up prolonged rap sheets since crossing the US-Mexico border in 2023 and 2022, respectively — had hatched plans to commit robberies within the park over the safe calling and messaging app, based on District Legal professional Alvin Bragg.
The pair rode a moped into the park round 11:50 p.m. and robbed a lady of her cellphone earlier than they noticed the off-duty agent sitting with one other particular person on a jetty going through the water beneath the bridge.
Mora Nunez bought off the moped and approached the unsuspecting victims from behind whereas brandishing a firearm. He shot the officer within the face and arm earlier than the unidentified agent pulled out his personal firearm and opened hearth, putting the gun-toting migrant within the leg and groin, prosecutors mentioned.
The wounded thug scurried again to the moped, the place he and his confederate – who was within the driver’s seat – sped off to a Bronx hospital, the place he was unceremoniously dumped outdoors it by Aybar-Berro.
Mora Nunez was arrested on the hospital and Aybar-Berro was nabbed the following day.
The pair had each illegally crossed the southern border, however have been launched forward of immigration hearings. Additionally they have been arrested a number of instances by the NYPD, however let free.
The alleged shooter additionally has two open instances within the Bronx and one in Massachusetts, and is at present being held on an ICE immigration detainer.
