Jose Mercedes survived the Bronx attack as surveillance footage and a multistate search helped investigators locate two accused men.
NEW YORK — An off-duty NYPD detective who was stabbed during a daylight robbery in the Bronx has been released from the hospital, while two men accused in the attack are in custody in Massachusetts and have agreed to return to New York.
Detective Jose Mercedes, 33, was injured Oct. 2 near Rochambeau Avenue and East 208th Street in the Norwood section of the Bronx. Police said two men riding a motorized bike approached Mercedes while he was near his vehicle, attacked him and took a gold chain from his neck. Despite his injuries, investigators said, Mercedes pursued the men on foot before collapsing several blocks away.
Mercedes was taken to NYC Health + Hospitals/Jacobi, where he was treated before being discharged. His release marked a significant turn in a case that had begun with the detective seriously injured and his attackers still unidentified. Fellow officers, relatives and supporters gathered as Mercedes left the hospital while detectives continued searching for those accused of attacking him.
The NYPD’s investigation quickly focused on video evidence. Police released surveillance footage showing the men investigators were trying to identify and asked for information as the search continued. The images became part of an effort to trace the suspects after they fled the Norwood neighborhood on a motorized bike.
On Tuesday, Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch identified the wanted men as D’Angelo Caraballo, 25, and Sneider Mejia, 24. Tisch said they were being sought in connection with attempted murder, robbery and criminal possession of a weapon. The announcement gave investigators publicly identified targets after several days in which police had circulated surveillance images from the case.
The search ended early Wednesday in Lynn, Massachusetts. Police said NYPD detectives assigned to the U.S. Marshals Regional Fugitive Task Force, working with the Boston Regional Fugitive Task Force and other authorities, located Caraballo and Mejia at a home. Investigators said the men were found hiding in the basement and were taken into custody without incident.
The two men later appeared in Lynn District Court. They were held without bail and agreed to return to New York City, according to reports from the Massachusetts proceeding. Authorities said they are expected to face attempted murder allegations connected to the attack on Mercedes. A date for their first New York court appearance had not been announced.
The arrests came roughly five days after the attack and a day after police publicly identified the suspects. What began as an afternoon robbery investigation in one Bronx neighborhood eventually involved detectives and fugitive teams in New York and Massachusetts. Police credited cooperation among the agencies with locating the men after investigators determined they had left New York.
Mercedes’ survival and release from the hospital unfolded while the search was still active. Police officials praised his response after the attack and said the department was supporting him through his recovery. The case then moved into a new phase with the suspects’ arrests, shifting the focus from a fugitive investigation toward court proceedings.
Caraballo and Mejia have not been convicted of the allegations against them, and the charges will be addressed through the court process. Mercedes is out of the hospital and recovering, while authorities work to return the two defendants to New York.
Author note: Last updated October 8, 2026.