An illegal immigrant, Christhian Aybar-Berroa, was brought before a Manhattan federal courtroom to face charges of being an accessory after the fact in the shooting of an off-duty Customs and Border Protection officer. The courtroom was packed with nearly three dozen CBP officers who had been waiting since 7 a.m. for the arraignment to begin, which finally started at 2:30 p.m. The officers appeared frustrated as they waited for Aybar-Berroa to be held behind bars until his preliminary hearing on August 8.
Aybar-Berroa, 22, appeared in court wearing ripped jeans and a pricey t-shirt with a baseball-playing skeleton reading “Godspeed.” He is accused of being the getaway driver in a botched robbery that took place on July 19 at Fort Washington Park. His alleged accomplice, Miguel Francisco Mora Nunez, 21, shot the off-duty CBP officer during the robbery, leaving him hospitalized with gunshot wounds to the face and arm. The officer managed to fire back, hitting Mora Nunez twice before he fled back to Aybar-Berroa.
Aybar-Berroa then drove Mora Nunez to a hospital and left him outside before fleeing the scene. Mora Nunez has yet to be arraigned in connection with the case. The incident has put a spotlight on the dangers faced by law enforcement officers, even when they are off-duty. The CBP officers in the courtroom showed their support for their injured comrade and their frustration with the alleged perpetrators. The case is ongoing, and further details will be revealed as the investigation progresses.
