The men were found in a Lynn basement after a multiday search and later agreed to return to New York.
NEW YORK — Two men accused of stabbing and robbing an off-duty New York City police detective in the Bronx were arrested in Massachusetts after a multiday search that extended across state lines, authorities said.
D’Angelo Caraballo, 25, and Sneider Mejia, 24, were taken into custody early Wednesday in Lynn, Massachusetts. The NYPD said detectives assigned to the U.S. Marshals Regional Fugitive Task Force worked with the Boston Regional Fugitive Task Force to locate the men. Massachusetts authorities also assisted in the operation. Investigators said the suspects were found hiding in the basement of a home.
The arrests brought an end to the search that began after Detective Jose Mercedes, 33, was attacked while off duty Oct. 2 in the Norwood section of the Bronx. Police said Mercedes was near his vehicle around Rochambeau Avenue and East 208th Street when two men on a motorized bike approached him. Investigators accuse the pair of stabbing and slashing Mercedes several times and taking a gold chain from his neck before fleeing.
Mercedes remained on his feet after the attack and pursued the suspects before collapsing several blocks away, investigators said. Emergency crews took him to NYC Health + Hospitals/Jacobi. He survived his injuries and was later released from the hospital. Police subsequently released surveillance images and video as detectives worked to identify and locate the people responsible.
Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch publicly identified Caraballo and Mejia on Tuesday, describing them as wanted in connection with attempted murder, robbery and criminal possession of a weapon. At that point, the investigation had shifted from identifying the suspects to finding them. By early Wednesday, authorities said the search had led investigators more than 200 miles from the Bronx to Lynn, north of Boston.
Massachusetts authorities said the arrests took place shortly after midnight and without incident. The suspects later appeared together Wednesday in Lynn District Court. They were held without bail and agreed to return to New York City to face prosecution, according to reports from the court proceeding.
The cross-state operation involved police and fugitive investigators from several agencies. Authorities said NYPD detectives, the U.S. Marshals Service, Massachusetts State Police and Lynn police participated in efforts that ultimately led to the arrests. The case illustrates how a local robbery investigation can expand beyond city and state boundaries when suspects are believed to have left the jurisdiction.
The investigation began with the daylight attack in Norwood and developed through surveillance footage, suspect identification and fugitive-tracking efforts. The NYPD had released images of the men as detectives sought information about their whereabouts. Officials announced their identities Tuesday, one day before authorities disclosed that both had been located in Massachusetts.
The arrests do not determine guilt. Caraballo and Mejia are accused of crimes connected to the attack and are entitled to the presumption of innocence as the case proceeds. Authorities have not announced a New York arraignment date.
Caraballo and Mejia remained in custody after their Massachusetts court appearance and agreed to be returned to New York. Mercedes, meanwhile, is continuing his recovery after being discharged from the hospital.
Author note: Last updated October 8, 2026.