5 indicted for fatal shootout during theft attempt of $8 million and 6 kilos of cocaine in Mount Vernon
New documents reveal that these suspects were part of a group of 10 to 15 people who ambushed two customers and workers at a warehouse while trying to steal $8 million and six kilograms of cocaine.
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Five individuals are facing federal charges following a shootout that resulted in the deaths of two individuals in Mount Vernon this week.
New documents reveal that these suspects were part of a group of 10 to 15 people who ambushed two customers and workers at a warehouse selling products typically found in a smoke shop. Their aim was to steal $8 million and six kilograms of cocaine.
The suspects identified by police are 23-year-old Ilario Contreras, 25-year-old Jerpi Diaz-Feliz, 23-year-old Jhoan Diaz-Feliz, 35-year-old Victor Jimenez, and 26-year-old Joseph Perez. They appeared in court Wednesday at the federal courthouse in White Plains. They face charges of murder, conspiracy to commit robbery, and illegal weapons possession, with potential sentences of up to life in prison if found guilty.
Newly released images from the U.S. Attorney's Office depict the scene outside 137 South Fifth Ave. in Mount Vernon around midnight on Tuesday. Police say two individuals lost their lives in the ensuing shootout — one suspect at the scene and a warehouse worker at a local hospital.
Later that night, police traced the suspects and a van used in the attempted robbery back to an apartment complex in the Bronx. They conducted traffic stops and arrested the five defendants. The incident has left many in Mount Vernon shaken, with calls for a change in the city's crime policies.
"I'm at a loss for words. It's just sad both ways. I just really wish they would get the crime out of here because this is a great town," says Mary from Mount Vernon, NY.
The investigation is ongoing, with police still searching for others involved in the ambush, including the suspected gunman identified only as "Marcos" by the FBI.
