New York Police Department Commissioner Edward A. Caban announced the arrest of the 15-year-old Venezuelan teenager who opened fire on police officers and pedestrians in Times Square last Friday. He was stopped by a security guard at a store he tried to rob with two other accomplices and opened fire in the store and on the street as he tried to evade police, injuring a Brazilian tourist with a gunshot. Police and store security were unable to prevent the shooter from escaping after he managed to enter a subway station.
Less than 24 hours after shooting a woman in Times Square and firing at our officer twice, the suspect is in custody.
Thank you to our US Marshal Regional Fugitive Task Force, @YonkersPD, and all our @NYPDDetectives who have been working on this case. Once again proving why you… pic.twitter.com/IUNpWkCCGp
— Edward A. Caban (@NYPDPC) February 9, 2024
'Very violent'
Jesús Alejandro Rivas-Figueroa, an illegal immigrant, was detained at the home of a relative in front of his mother, who cried during his arrest. During the arrest, the teen also burst into tears while appearing frightened at the police officers who surrounded him in bulletproof vests. It was a very different image from that of the "very violent" shooter who opened fire indiscriminately in the middle of the crowd present in Times Square, according to the head of the NYPD.
One under 💙🖤💪🏽💪🏽#NYPD #BackTheBlue #illegalimmigrants #Police #lawenforcement #NYC pic.twitter.com/0BTfMBTUwt
— Angel L Maysonet🇵🇷🇺🇸👮🏻♂️💙🖤 (@bigricanman) February 9, 2024
'He was crying'
Carlos Nieves, spokesman for the NYPD, explained that the U.S. Marshals Joint Regional Fugitive Task Force and the NYPD were tasked with tracking down Rivas-Figueroa, and they found him in Yonkers. "He was crying. When he was apprehended, he was crying… Here he is committing these adult acts, that’s something you don’t expect a child to do, and then when he’s apprehended, he’s brought out in handcuffs crying," Nieves said.
He will likely be charged with attempted murder of a police officer, although he is expected to be charged as a juvenile. According to The New York Post, the detainee is also suspected of participating in a robbery at gunpoint in the Bronx on Jan. 27 and of being involved in a shooting in a New York park two days earlier.
If you dare to commit a crime in NYC, rest assured that you WILL be arrested. We are absolutely relentless in our pursuit of justice and won't rest until the job is done. pic.twitter.com/JyIdhAR48x
— NYPD Chief of Patrol (@NYPDChiefPatrol) February 10, 2024
