Illegals Robbery Gone Wrong Ends In Shooting

(LibertySociety.com) – New York City has seen nearly 200,000 illegal aliens arrive within the last 18 months, which has undoubtedly caused an uptick in crime. NYPD Chief of Patrol John Chell made clear that the police would not “broad brush the whole migrant community as being bad people.” However, he noted that “some Venezuelan groups of migrants” had begun committing more crimes than when they first arrived in the city. One of those Venezuelans was 15-year-old Jesus Alejandro Rivas-Figueroa, who shot a Brazilian tourist in Times Square on February 8. He and two other minor-aged illegal migrants were attempting to rob JD Sports in the heavily trafficked area when they were confronted by a female security guard.

Rivas-Figueroa pulled out a handgun and shot at the security guard twice, but missed. Instead, one of the shots hit a Brazilian woman in the leg. He then ran out into Times Square, where an NYPD officer attempted to apprehend him. Rivas-Figueroa fired toward the officer, prompting him to pull out his firearm. The officer chose not to fire his weapon because of the crowded area, and Rivas-Figueroa ran into an alleyway. He turned and shot toward the officer again but was able to escape by boarding the subway. The other two minor suspects were taken into custody at the time.

Rivas-Figueroa was also suspected of having committed an armed robbery in the Bronx on January 27, as well as a midtown Manhattan “shots fired” incident. Chell said that if the officer had been hit, the situation would have turned out a lot differently. He also expressed concern that the increase in armed robberies and retail theft could be an organized effort, much like what has been happening in the suburbs of Chicago. Another senior NYPD officer said that the trend was concerning. Rivas-Figueroa was arrested by U.S. Marshals on February 9 at a relative’s house in Yonkers. He reportedly began crying as he was taken into custody.

Copyright 2024, LibertySociety.com