Thursday, October 1, 2026
Two alleged members of Tren-de-Aragua, considered a violent international gang, pleaded guilty to charges stemming from the robbery and shooting of a woman walking home from work in Hempstead in 2024.
The attack happened around 12:35 a.m. on May 22, 2024, when the woman got off a bus near a parking lot on Front Street. Prosecutors said the victim was walking home when two men followed her on a moped, circled back, and approached her.
Bernardo Raul Castro Mata, 21, of East Elmhurst, allegedly jumped off the moped and pointed a gun at the woman, demanding her belongings. A struggle followed, and when the woman screamed and refused to give up one of her bags, Castro Mata shot her in the arm, authorities said.
The suspects — Castro Mata and Frederick Morillo Chavez, 22, of New York City — fled with two bags containing personal items, including a debit card and portable electronics.
Both men were later arrested by detectives from the Nassau County Police Department’s Third Squad. Investigators say the two are alleged members of Tren de Aragua.
“These guilty pleas hold both men accountable for the fear and harm they caused,” Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly wrote in a statement. “No one in Nassau County should ever have to fear being the victim of gang violence on our streets.”
Castro Mata pleaded guilty in August to attempted murder, robbery and criminal possession of a weapon. He was sentenced in October to 15 years in prison, to be followed by five years of post-release supervision.
Morillo Chavez pleaded guilty on Feb. 2 to robbery and attempted assault. He is expected to be sentenced on March 16 to eight years in prison, with five years of post-release supervision.
Castro Mata had also faced separate charges in Queens, where he was convicted for shooting at two NYPD officers during a moped stop in June 2024. He was sentenced there to 28 years in prison.
