A Dangerous Chase Ends in Lynn
It took a massive manhunt, but the two men who slashed an off-duty NYPD detective seven times are finally behind bars. D’Angelo Caraballo and Sneider Mejia were tracked down hiding in a basement in Lynn, Massachusetts, just before 1 a.m. on Wednesday. These suspects had been on the run since a botched robbery attempt in the Bronx left Detective Jose Mercedes fighting for his life.
The capture comes just one day after the brave detective was released from Jacobi Medical Center. While the suspects were cuffed by the U.S. Marshals Service, Mercedes was walking out of the hospital on his own two feet. It is a victory for justice, but it highlights a broken system that let these men back on the streets in the first place.
How the Attack Unfolded
According to reporting from the New York Post and amNewYork, the violence started on Friday afternoon in the Bronx. The duo pulled up on an e-bike and tried to snatch the gold chain worn by Detective Mercedes, who is assigned to the 44th precinct. When the officer fought back, the suspects stabbed him seven times with a knife before speeding away and leaving him bleeding on the sidewalk.
Surveillance video caught the brazen robbers near the scene. The footage shows the driver, Mejia, speeding down the sidewalk while Caraballo, the suspected stabber, sits shirtless behind him. Authorities identified the pair on Tuesday, launching a city-wide search. During the Biden administration, both men crossed into the United States without authorization and previously faced arrests in New York City.
Reports from the New York Post indicate they were released previously due to soft-on-crime laws and sanctuary rules. They were tracked down in Lynn, MA, and taken into custody by the U.S. Marshals Regional Fugitive Task Force. Attempted murder charges will now be pursued against them in New York City, where they are being returned.
The Cost of Soft Policies
This isn’t just a story about a successful arrest; it is a story about how we let criminals walk free. These men were known to the system. Although Gotham authorities arrested them for multiple offenses, they were released under policies that favor the rights of illegal migrants rather than protecting New Yorkers. It is no wonder they felt bold enough to attack a cop in broad daylight.
We saw the danger when they struck. Seven stab wounds is a vicious assault that should have ended with a life sentence the first time they were caught. Instead, the city’s sanctuary rules prevented local law enforcement from holding them. Now, an off-duty detective had to fight for his life, and his family had to watch him bleed on a Bronx sidewalk.
Commissioner Jessica Tisch praised the detective’s recovery in a statement to amNewYork. She said, “In another incredible feat of strength and determination, Detective Mercedes got up from his wheelchair and walked out of Jacobi Medical Center on his own two feet.” The NYPD stood by him as he recovered, with hundreds of members cheering him on.
However, praise for the recovery shouldn’t distract from the failure that allowed this to happen. Scott Munro, President of the NYPD Detectives Endowment Association, demanded full accountability. He stated, “We’re grateful to our partner agencies for their assistance. Now this union demands that the justice system hold these individuals fully accountable.” He added, “Our fellow detective and every New Yorker deserve nothing less.”
