The off-duty NYPD detective attacked by two undocumented immigrants during a Bronx robbery identified himself as a police officer at least six times — but the suspects continued to stab their victim repeatedly, prosecutors said Wednesday.
Two weeks after the Oct. 2 mugging, Det. Jose Mercedes still doesn’t have the use of his left hand, Bronx Assistant District Attorney Paul Irace said as defendants Sneider Mejia and D’Angelo Carabello were arraigned on attempted murder charges and ordered held without bail.
As they fled to Massachusetts, Mejia, 24, and Carabello, 25, cut their hair and ditched their cellphones “in an attempt to disguise themselves,” Irace said. Police ultimately found them in a basement recording studio in Lynn, Mass.
Sneider and Carabello were charged with attempted murder in the commission of a robbery. Mejia was additionally charged with attempted murder of a police officer for allegedly wielding the knife, Irace said.
As they were extradited to New York and were led out of the 52nd Precinct stationhouse in the Bronx on Tuesday, Carabello confessed to the crime to a row of awaiting reporters.
“I did it to eat,” he said. He also blurted out in Spanish, “Mommy, I’m OK,” before he was placed into an NYPD vehicle and taken away to court. Mejia simply said, “I didn’t do anything,” before he, too, was put in a police car.
Irace said both men were riding on a scooter when they encountered Mercedes rummaging in the trunk of his Mustang parked on E. 208th St. near Steuben Ave. and decided to ambush him.
While Mejia brandished a knife and stabbed the detective several times, Carabello “ripped two chains” from around his neck—ultimately making off with one and dropping the other at the scene, Irace said. Throughout the ordeal, Mercedes identified himself as a police officer at least six times, according to Irance.
“As defendant Mejia was stabbing the victim, he was aiming towards his upper torso, towards his head, neck, and upper body,” Irace said. Mercedes fought back and at one point grabbed both Mejia and Carabello, and “because of his actions in trying to restrain them and having his arms up, most of the stab wounds he received were in his arms,” Irace explained.
Mercedes ran two blocks barefoot as he chased after the duo before finally collapsing from blood loss. He underwent surgery at a local Bronx hospital to repair the tendons in his left arm, and “as we sit here today, almost two weeks later, he still did not have the use of his left hand,” Irace said.
NYPD detectives assigned to the U.S. Marshals Regional Fugitive Task Force, with assistance from Boston authorities, found them hiding out in Massachusetts on Oct. 6.
Both Mejia and Carabello, who appeared in court handcuffed and wearing tan jail scrubs, pleaded not guilty to the bloody robbery.
The two are undocumented immigrants from the Dominican Republic with arrest records in the United States, according to federal authorities.
A federal judge ordered Mejia’s deportation in May 2025, and he was arrested in October for weapons possession. Per the city’s sanctuary laws, the NYPD did not alert federal immigration authorities following Mejia’s arrest.
Carabello has two open cases, including one arrest for gun possession and another for menacing a man with a knife.
“Despite prior arrests in New York, sanctuary politicians refused to cooperate with ICE and released them,” Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said in a statement last week about the two suspects. “This horrific crime could have been prevented if it weren’t for Biden’s open borders and the ‘America Last’ policies of New York sanctuary politicians.”
Neither man spoke as they listened to the translated proceedings via headphones. As Mejia was led away in handcuffs he called out, “Mama! Mama! Mama!” to a woman in the gallery sitting with four other family members.
Their next court appearance is Dec. 3.