The two men accused of stabbing an off-duty New York police detective during a Bronx robbery were captured by U.S. Marshals hiding in the basement of a home in Lynn, Massachusetts, ending a five-day manhunt. The NYPD said the pair will be extradited to New York to face attempted murder charges. The New York Post, Fox News and other outlets reported the arrests.
Those arrested are Dangelo Rafael Jean Caraballo, 25, and Sneider Mejia Bautista, 24, both citizens of the Dominican Republic. According to the NYPD, a U.S. Marshals Service task force tracked the pair overnight and found them hiding in the basement of a Lynn residence. "When individuals commit violent, unprovoked acts against members of law enforcement, there is nowhere they can hide," said U.S. Marshal Ricky J. Patel, who leads the task force, adding that investigators "worked around the clock" to track the men down.
The attack happened around 1:45 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 2, at Rochambeau Avenue and East 208th Street in the Norwood section of the Bronx. Police say the duo rode up on an e-bike to off-duty Detective Jose Mercedes, 33, of the Bronx's 44th Precinct, as he was taking items from his car trunk, and tried to snatch the gold chain from his neck. When Mercedes fought back, he was stabbed seven times. Despite severe injuries, he chased the attackers for two blocks before collapsing and was rushed to Jacobi Medical Center. The blade miraculously missed his vital organs, and he was released on Monday. His uncle Ricardo Mercedes told the Post his nephew may need surgery on his arm: "Two fingers are not well. They don't move."
The Department of Homeland Security says both men entered the United States illegally through the Arizona border and were released into the country during the Biden administration, then accumulated extensive arrest records in New York City. Caraballo's priors include reckless endangerment, reckless driving, unlawful fleeing from a police officer in a motor vehicle, possession of burglar's tools — after his December 2024 arrest on that charge, local law enforcement released him before ICE could lodge a detainer — criminal possession of a controlled substance, criminal possession of a loaded firearm, and second-degree menacing involving a weapon. DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin issued a statement blaming "Biden's open borders" and New York's sanctuary-city policies, calling the attack "a horrific crime" that "could have been prevented."
Police say the two will be brought back to New York City to face attempted murder charges. The NYPD publicly identified the suspects on Oct. 6 amid a massive manhunt; they were in custody in Massachusetts a day later — five days after the attack. The investigation continues, and prosecutors have not yet released formal charging documents.