By Tiffany Williams –
New York — A second suspect has been arrested in connection with the weekend shooting of an off-duty U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer in Fort Washington Park, authorities confirmed Monday.
Christhian Aybar-Berroa, a Dominican national, was taken into custody by federal immigration authorities early Monday morning. Officials say Aybar-Berroa, along with 21-year-old Miguel Francisco Mora Nunez, both entered the country illegally and were previously arrested multiple times in New York.
The shooting occurred late Saturday night beneath the George Washington Bridge. According to law enforcement officials and surveillance footage released by the Department of Homeland Security, the 42-year-old off-duty officer was sitting in the park with a female companion around 11:50 p.m. when two men on a moped approached. One of the suspects got off the moped and attempted to rob the officer, who drew his service weapon in response.
Authorities say the suspect opened fire first, striking the officer in the face and arm. The officer returned fire, hitting the gunman in the leg. Both suspects fled the scene on the moped.
Hours later, Mora Nunez appeared at a Bronx hospital with gunshot wounds to his groin and leg and was taken into custody. His injuries were consistent with what was observed in the surveillance footage. NYPD officials later identified Mora Nunez as the suspected gunman in the incident.
Homeland Security officials said Mora Nunez, who crossed the U.S.-Mexico border in April 2023, had previously been ordered deported to the Dominican Republic two years ago but remained in the country. He has multiple arrests in New York over the past year, including for assaulting a pregnant woman, threatening another individual with a machete, violating an order of protection, and robbery. Authorities say he was also wanted in Massachusetts on active kidnapping and weapons charges related to a robbery at a pawn shop.
Despite his criminal history, Mora Nunez had not been detained by federal immigration authorities due to New York City’s sanctuary policies, which limit cooperation between local law enforcement and federal immigration enforcement agencies. As a result, immigration detainers placed on Mora Nunez were not honored, and he was repeatedly released following his prior arrests.
Aybar-Berroa, also from the Dominican Republic, entered the U.S. illegally in 2022, according to federal officials. He has a criminal record that includes eight arrests between March and April 2024 for grand larceny and robbery, as well as previous charges of reckless endangerment. Officials say he, too, was released before ICE could take custody.
At a press conference Monday, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem confirmed both suspects were undocumented and criticized the city’s sanctuary laws for preventing federal agents from taking custody of individuals with extensive criminal histories. Noem said the Department of Homeland Security will increase its enforcement presence in sanctuary cities and vowed to “flood the zone” with agents to target individuals with criminal backgrounds.
NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said the off-duty officer acted in self-defense during the encounter and exchanged gunfire after realizing he was being robbed. The officer remains hospitalized in stable condition and is expected to survive.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams responded to criticism from federal officials by noting that while he supports targeting violent offenders, changes to the city’s sanctuary policies would require action from the City Council. Adams has previously stated that he supports modifying the law to allow cooperation with federal authorities in cases involving dangerous individuals.
Federal charges are expected to be filed against both suspects. It remains unclear whether either suspect has obtained legal representation.
The investigation is ongoing.