Authorities in Westchester County are investigating how a Bronx man accused of child sex crimes managed to bring a gun and drugs into a Mount Vernon police transport van and allegedly shoot another inmate while in custody, as reported by The New York Post.

According to court filings and police reports, 32-year-old Louis Soto is now facing new assault and weapons charges in addition to his original counts of sex abuse of a minor, burglary, and forcible touching.

The bizarre incident unfolded Thursday while Soto was being transported with other prisoners to the Westchester County Jail in Valhalla.

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Investigators are still working to determine how Soto managed to smuggle a handgun and cocaine into the vehicle. During the trip, officers reportedly heard a single gunshot from the rear of the van, immediately followed by a prisoner claiming he had been shot.

Mount Vernon Police Chief Marcel Olifiers confirmed the events in a statement to WABC Eyewitness News. “The officers reported hearing a single gunshot in the rear of the van followed by a prisoner stating that he had been shot,” Olifiers said.

New York prisoner shoots inmate with hidden gun on van to Westchester County jail / Via @cbsnewyork pic.twitter.com/OkgUC46k2M

— Crime In NYC (@Crime_In_NYC) October 19, 2025

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“This is a very serious incident and we take this very seriously.”

The injured inmate, whose name has not been released, was struck in the leg and is expected to survive, according to investigators.

Two Mount Vernon police officers who were assigned to the transport detail have been placed on modified duty while the investigation continues. City officials have not released their names.

Soto, who had been arrested the previous day on the initial sex crime charges, was immediately taken into custody after the shooting. He is being held at the county jail pending arraignment on the new charges, which include assault and criminal possession of a weapon.

Cops on modified duty, prisoner facing new charges after bizarre shooting inside jail transport van https://t.co/qf2p4AFZkf pic.twitter.com/y6KsP4jUUG

— New York Post Metro (@nypmetro) October 20, 2025

Mount Vernon officials have declined to comment further on the case.

However, law enforcement sources confirmed that the Mount Vernon Police Department is working with the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office to determine how the firearm and drugs were brought into the secured vehicle.

The shooting has raised questions about security procedures during inmate transport and how weapons can pass through police custody checks.

The internal review is expected to focus on both the officers’ handling of the prisoners and the screening protocols used before the inmates were loaded into the van.

The investigation remains ongoing.

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