Bronx detective recovers after being stabbed seven times in daylight robbery

Detective Jose Mercedes, 33, was ambushed in broad daylight on Oct. 2 while he was cleaning the trunk of his vehicle in Norwood, Bronx. A pair on an e-bike attempted to snatch his gold chain, stabbing him at least seven times in the neck and leg before escaping on the bike. Mercedes was rushed to Jacobi Medical Center, where he recovered and was released several days later, greeted by applause and bagpipes from fellow officers in Morris Park.

The alleged attacker, 25-year-old D’Angelo Caraballo, and the bike rider, 24-year-old Sneider Mejia, were identified as illegal migrants from the Dominican Republic. U.S. Marshals located them hiding in a basement in Lynn, Massachusetts, and they were taken into custody, ordered held without bail, and will be returned to New York to face attempted murder charges.