Two men have been indicted in the violent shooting of an off-duty Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer during a robbery in Fort Washington Park last month. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent in Charge Ricky J. Patel announced the charges against 21-year-old Miguel Mora and 22-year-old Christhian Aybar. According to a statement by the Manhattan DA's Office, Mora faces attempted murder charges while both defendants are charged with assault, attempted robbery, robbery, and criminal possession of a weapon.
"Even while off duty on a summer night, this officer quickly leapt into action in an act of bravery," DA Bragg said. He commended the collaborative efforts of the investigating teams in his pursuit to maintain officer safety throughout Manhattan. The alleged culprits' plans to commit robberies began to quickly unravel on the evening of July 19, when they targeted an unsuspecting woman and then the off-duty CBP officer, as detailed in court documents and statements on record, as per the Manhattan DA's Office.
The incident unfolded as Mora and Aybar rode into the park on a moped, first assaulting a 39-year-old woman before crossing paths with the off-duty officer at the red lighthouse. Mora confronted the officer with a gun only to have the officer pull out his firearm and return fire, resulting in both individuals sustaining injuries. "Miguel Mora and Cristhian Aybar juggled with fate, and lost," Ricky J. Patel told Manhattan DA's Office, condemning the blatant disregard for life and law shown by the defendants.
After the shooting, Mora, who sustained wounds, was left at a Bronx hospital by Aybar and was quickly arrested; Aybar was apprehended the following day by federal authorities. The prosecution of the case is being led by Assistant D.A. Joseph Abrams, under the experienced supervision of several senior members of the DA's office, as recounted by DA Bragg who acknowledged the collective efforts of Homeland Security Investigations, NYPD, and CBP in this intensive investigation. "Today's indictment again highlights the amazing work being done by the best police force anywhere," New York City Mayor Eric Adams said in a statement obtained by the Manhattan DA's Office.
