The illegal immigrant teen who is accused of shooting into a crowd at a sports store in Times Square was taken into custody Friday afternoon.
NYPD officials identified the 15-year-old Venezuelan national as Jesus Alejandro Rivas-Figueroa, who came to the U.S. in September and had been living in a migrant shelter in the Big Apple.
Police said the suspect, who was trying to shoplift, struck a 37-year-old female tourist’s leg when he opened fire in JD Sports on Thursday, then again at an officer who was trying to apprehend him.
According to police, three men walked up to the second floor inside JD Sports, located at 42nd St. and Broadway, and began stuffing clothing into a bag.
Two of them walked back down to the lobby and were caught by a female security officer, who confiscated the stolen goods, police said.
That's when police said the shooting suspect pulled out his gun and hit the woman in the leg. She was taken to Bellevue Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
"At this point, they run down to 47th St. and 7th Ave.," NYPD Chief of Patrol John Chell said. "We have two cops who are hearing this, and they approached both males. They quickly apprehend the one male with the blue jacket. One partner by himself chases the shooter wearing all white down 47th St., toward 6th Ave. He turns one time and fires at our officer. As the male in the white goes further into the cut, under his armpit, he fires his second shot at our officer." (Fox5NY)
Police believe the suspect was also involved in a previous armed robbery and shots-fired incident that occurred last month in the Bronx and Midtown, respectively.
The suspect was in tears when authorities nabbed him.
“He was crying. When he was apprehended, he was crying… Here he is committing these adult acts, that’s something you don’t expect a child to do, and then when he’s apprehended, he’s brought out in handcuffs crying,” NYPD spokesman Carlos Nieves told reporters.
JUST IN: 15-year-old illegal immigrant starts crying while getting arrested after he allegedly shot a tourist and fired at police in Times Square.
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) February 10, 2024
Poor baby.
“He was crying. When he was apprehended, he was crying… Here he is committing these adult acts, that’s something you… pic.twitter.com/0GJgvvOJsY
NYPD Commissioner Edward Caban, meanwhile, said such attacks will not be tolerated.
“If you think you attack a member of this department, if you think you could threaten the lives of the very people who keep us safe. If you think you could put others at deadly risk and get away with it, then think again,” he said during a press conference Friday night. “We will never stop pursuing you. We will find you, and we will arrest you.”
The suspect will likely be charged as a juvenile with attempted murder of a police officer, Nieves said.
The incident comes after a group of illegal immigrants assaulted two NYPD officers in Times Square last month.