An NYPD detective who was stabbed and slashed seven times during a brazen Bronx robbery has been released from the hospital and is recovering from his injuries.
“I’m feeling much better, thank you,” Det. Jose Mercedes, a 10-year NYPD veteran assigned to the 44th Precinct, told the New York Post on Saturday.
Mercedes, 33, was off duty Oct. 2 and cleaning out the trunk of his car in when two suspects allegedly ambushed him and tried to steal his gold chain, according to the NYPD.
The detective fought back and tried to defend himself before he was stabbed at least seven times in the neck and leg. The suspects allegedly ripped the chain from his neck and fled on a motorized bike, sources and police told the Post.
Video obtained by the newspaper showed Mercedes covered in blood as he was loaded into an ambulance after the attack. He was rushed to Jacobi Medical Center and released several days later.
Mercedes was greeted Monday evening by dozens of fellow NYPD officers as he left the hospital in a wheelchair, with bagpipes playing and officers applauding. He later stood up, smiled and flashed a thumbs-up to the crowd.
Police identified the alleged attackers as D’Angelo Caraballo, 25, and Sneider Mejia, 24. Caraballo was identified as the alleged slasher, while Mejia was accused of driving the bike, according to the NYPD.
Both suspects were identified by federal authorities as illegal migrants from the Dominican Republic. They were found hiding in the basement of a home in Lynn, Massachusetts, and taken into custody by the U.S. Marshals Service, the NYPD said Wednesday.
The pair were ordered held without bail during a joint appearance in Lynn District Court and are expected to be returned to New York City to face attempted murder charges, according to police.
