FBI offering $15,000 reward for man wanted in Mount Vernon smoke shop shootout
NEW YORK - The FBI is offering a $15,000 reward in connection with a deadly shooting last week in Mount Vernon, New York.
The search continues for a man named Marco Tulio Fernandez-Rodriguez after two people were shot and killed during a botched robbery.
Investigators shared new photos of Fernandez-Rodriguez on Friday, before releasing his full name and the reward over the weekend.
The shooting happened just after midnight last Tuesday at 137 South Fifth Avenue, which law enforcement sources identified as an illegal smoke shop.
The United States attorney's office said a group of suspects tried to rob a warehouse that sells products to smoke shops. As they were holding employees and customers at gunpoint, a shootout broke out between the suspects and warehouse employees.
Officers arrived to find two people with gunshot wounds. One was pronounced dead on the scene, and the other died of their injuries at the hospital.
Authorities said one of the victims was a warehouse employee, and the other was affiliated with the suspects.
CBS New York spoke with a man who said he's worked on the street for about 30 years and heard gunshots in the area before.
"Couple of times, you hear shots down here, but I never put my interest in it," Curtis Kiffin said. "I'm sorry that these things happened. It was surprising to me."
Later Tuesday night, several people were arrested near the corner of East Fordham Road and Hughes Avenue in the Bronx.
At least five men were taken into federal custody on charges of conspiracy to distribute narcotics, robbery and murder.
Anyone with information about the case is asked to call Mount Vernon Police. Tips can also be shared with the FBI New York office at (212) 384-1000.
