Say He Shot At Cops In Elmhurst
Law enforcement agents traveled across the Hudson River last Wednesday, Aug. 6, and collared a Corona man hiding out in New Jersey who is accused of firing a gun at police officers in Elmhurst two months ago, it was reported.
Christian Mosquera (at right), 20, of Westside Avenue was taken into custody in Union City, N.J. by members of the NYPD Regional Fugitive Task Force and arraigned the following day in Queens Criminal Court on attempted murder charges for the June 21 incident, according to Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown.
As previously reported, the shooting occurred at about 1:45 a.m. in the vicinity of Lamont Avenue and Forley Street.
Officers from the 110th Precinct responded to the location after receiving a 911 call regarding trespassers in the area.
While heading to the scene in a marked police vehicle, authorities said, they observed Mosquera allegedly chasing another male and armed with a handgun.
Reportedly, the officers stopped and exited from the vehicle, then ordered Mosquera multiple times to put down the weapon.
Authorities said Mosquera allegedly turned the weapon on police and fired a shot, which missed both officers. He reportedly fled from the scene on foot.
While running away, law enforcement sources said, Mosquera allegedly dropped a loaded .22- caliber Ruger Mark 1 long-arm pistol that police eventually recovered. The gun had two live rounds of ammunition, police noted.
In the shooting’s aftermath, the NYPD identified Mosquera as the prime suspect and offered a $12,000 reward for information leading to his arrest and conviction.
After the Fugitive Task Force picked Mosquera up last Wednesday, prosecutors said, he allegedly told officers that he didn’t fire at police, but rather shot “one or two times at someone else.”
During arraignment last Wednesday night, Brown stated, Judge Suzanne Melendez ordered the suspect held without bail on charges of first-degree attempted aggravated murder, first- and second-degree attempted murder, criminal possession of a weapon and reckless endangerment. He is scheduled to return to court on Sept. 10.
If convicted, Brown stated, Mosquera faces up to 25 years to life behind bars.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Michael E. Brovner of the DA’s Gang Violence and Hate Crimes Bureau, which is supervised by Assistant District Attorneys Mariela Herring, bureau chief, and Michelle E. Goldstein, deputy bureau chief.
