Gang member charged with two shootings in Queens and Brooklyn on the same day

September 26, 2023 Rob Abruzzese

Bustling 3441 Fulton St. in East New York, Brooklyn, where Abel Mora, a Trinitarios gang member, allegedly carried out a shooting and robbery before fleeing the scene.
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Abel Mora, a Trinitarios gang member, was indicted on Tuesday in federal court over his alleged involvement in two distinct shootings that occurred in both Queens and Brooklyn on Aug. 13, 2023.

The charges, unsealed earlier Tuesday, accuse Mora of possessing ammunition while being a convicted felon, linking him directly to the aforementioned shootings. He was detained early on Tuesday and was slated for arraignment in the afternoon under U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert Levy.

Breon Peace, U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of New York, in partnership with James Smith, assistant director-in-charge, FBI, New York Field Office, and Edward Caban, NYPD commissioner, declared the arrest and associated charges.

“As alleged, this defendant was a one-man crime wave who engaged in a broad daylight gunfight in Queens, then robbed and shot someone in Brooklyn later that same day,” said U.S. Attorney Peace. “This office will continue working tirelessly to dismantle gangs and reduce gun violence by prosecuting violent offenders who put the safety of communities in our district at extreme risk.”

The indictment delineates two separate incidents on August 13. Around 1 p.m. in Far Rockaway, Queens, Mora allegedly partook in a shootout with individuals inside a vehicle near New Haven Avenue and Beach 13th Street, originating from a brawl involving Mora’s associate. Bystanders, including children, had to scamper for safety.

Later, just after 9 p.m. in East New York, Brooklyn, Mora purportedly shot a victim and stole his backpack outside a bustling store on 3441 Fulton St. After the crime, Mora retreated to Etna Street, where he rendezvoused with an associate on a scooter. Throughout both incidents, Mora had ten 9mm Luger cartridges in his possession. Law enforcement officers later discovered a loaded 9mm firearm with a 17-round magazine inside his home.

This case was an offshoot of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) — a joint effort by all echelons of law enforcement to mitigate violent crimes and bolster community safety.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Emily J. Dean and Dana Rehnquist will be supervising the prosecution.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office recommended that Mora should be held without the provision of bail until the trial.