LEOMINSTER, Mass. — Miguel Francisco Mora Nunez, 21, a suspect wanted for an armed bank robbery in Leominster, Massachusetts, was arrested following a shooting incident involving an off-duty Customs and Border Protection officer in New York City on Saturday night.
The off-duty officer, who was not in uniform, was sitting in a park beneath the George Washington Bridge with a companion when two men on a moped approached just before midnight. The passenger dismounted and confronted the officer. Sensing an attempted robbery, the officer drew his service weapon, prompting an exchange of gunfire. The officer was shot in the face and arm, and the suspect was wounded before fleeing the scene with the driver.
Nunez was taken into custody after appearing at a Bronx hospital with gunshot wounds. He is wanted for a February armed robbery at Sam & Friends in Leominster, where the business owner was held at gunpoint and bound with duct tape. Police said one of the suspects had entered the store asking to use a phone charger before pulling a gun.
Federal officials criticized the handling of Nunez’s case. The Department of Homeland Security revealed Nunez entered the U.S. illegally in April 2023 but was released into the country. Despite an order for his removal last November and a series of criminal charges, an ICE detainer was ignored by New York City authorities, allowing him to commit both crimes.
Another suspect, Christhian Aybar Berroa, believed to be the getaway driver, was arrested early Monday and is expected to appear in federal court in Manhattan. It remains unclear if Berroa was involved in the Leominster robbery.
U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem condemned the suspects, calling them “scum of the earth” due to their criminal records and repeated offenses.
