NYPD Detective Jose Mercedes has been released from the hospital after being stabbed and slashed during an alleged robbery in the Bronx on Oct. 2, according to reporting by the New York Post and information attributed to police.
Mercedes, a 10-year veteran assigned to the 44th Precinct, was off duty and cleaning out his car trunk when two men allegedly attacked him and tried to take his gold chain. He was stabbed at least seven times in the neck and leg, police and sources told the Post. The suspects allegedly took the chain and fled on a motorized bike.
The detective was taken to Jacobi Medical Center and released several days later. In a brief comment to the Post, Mercedes said he was feeling better. The report also said fellow officers welcomed him as he left the hospital in a wheelchair.
Police identified the suspects as D’Angelo Caraballo, 25, and Sneider Mejia, 24. Caraballo is accused of stabbing Mercedes, while Mejia allegedly drove the bike, according to the report. Federal authorities identified both men as migrants from the Dominican Republic, the NYPD said.
The suspects were arrested in Lynn, Massachusetts, after they were found in a home’s basement, police said. They were ordered held without bail in Lynn District Court and are expected to be returned to New York City to face attempted murder charges. The allegations have not been established in court.
