20-year-old man pleads guilty to attempted murder, assault for shooting two NYPD cops

A 20-year-old man pleaded guilty Tuesday to attempted murder and assault after shooting and injuring two police officers as they pursued him on foot in Queens last summer.

Bernardo Raul Castro Mata was charged with attempted murder for shooting one officer in the chest, and assault for shooting another one in the leg, District Attorney Melinda Katz said. The two officers, Richard Yarusso and Christopher Abreu, had attempted to stop him for driving an unregistered motorcycle the wrong direction on Ditmars Boulevard near 90th Street in East Elmhurst without a helmet, she said.

“Once the officers caught up to the defendant, he fired at them,” Katz said in an announcement of the plea. “Thankfully, one officer’s bullet resistant vest saved his life while the other officer was able to recover from his injuries. With today’s plea, the defendant will now be held responsible for his actions.”

According to prosecutors, Yarusso chased Mata on foot while Abreu followed in an unmarked police car. Once Abreu caught up, he tried to arrest him, but Mata resisted “twisting his body, flailing his arms and reaching inside a bag he was wearing across his chest,” according to a statement from Katz’ office.

As the three men struggled on the ground, Mata took out a firearm from his bag and shot Yarusso in the lower chest. He also shot Abreu, hitting him in the upper right thigh, she said.

Abreu shot back, striking Mata in the foot, according to prosecutors. A third officer, Sgt. Nicholas Condos, arrived and placed Mata in handcuffs, they said.

Mata’s sentencing is scheduled for June 10, when prosecutors expect him to be sentenced to 28 years in prison. His lawyer referred questions to Queens Defenders, which not immediately answer a message Tuesday.