Two illegal migrants wanted for slashing an off-duty NYPD detective during a botched robbery were arrested overnight in a Massachusetts basement.
D’Angelo Caraballo, 25, and Sneider Mejia, 24, both from the Dominican Republic, were tracked down by the US Marshals Service hiding in a home in Lynn, according to the NYPD. They will be extradited back to New York City to face attempted murder charges, the department announced Wednesday.
The arrests capped a multi-day manhunt that began after the duo targeted Detective Jose Mercedes, assigned to The Bronx’s 44th precinct, on a Friday afternoon in broad daylight. Caraballo and Mejia pulled up on the detective on an e-bike and tried to snatch his gold chain, authorities said. When Mercedes fought back, Caraballo allegedly stabbed him seven times with a knife before the pair sped off, leaving the detective bleeding on the sidewalk.
Mercedes survived the vicious attack because the blade miraculously missed his vital organs, sources said. He was rushed to Jacobi Medical Center for treatment and released on Monday.
Both men had entered the United States illegally during the Biden administration and had accumulated multiple arrests in New York City. They were repeatedly released due to the city’s sanctuary policies, which prevent local law enforcement from cooperating with federal immigration authorities, according to the source coverage.
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin seized on the case to criticize those policies.
“Both of these suspects were released into the country by the Biden administration, and despite multiple prior arrests in New York, sanctuary politicians refused to cooperate with ICE and released them,” Mullin said in a statement.
The brazen robbers were caught on surveillance video near the scene of the crime. Mejia, the driver, was seen speeding down the sidewalk while Caraballo, the suspected stabber, sat shirtless behind him. Authorities identified the attackers Tuesday, triggering the manhunt that led to their capture in New England.
The case has drawn national attention to the intersection of immigration enforcement and local criminal justice policies, with federal officials highlighting the suspects’ repeated releases despite prior arrests.
Caraballo and Mejia are expected to be transported back to New York City in the coming days to face prosecution.