Last week, an off-duty New York Police Department detective, Jose Mercedes, was stabbed and badly injured in an attempted robbery in the Bronx. The detective walked out of the hospital on Monday; that's the good news. The not-so-good news comes to us from Fox News' Congressional correspondent Bill Melugin, who has some exclusive information on the identity of the attempted robbers, including that they are both Dominican nationals and illegal aliens — and that they were allowed to remain in the United States by the Biden administration.
BREAKING: I'm told by DHS sources that the two suspects wanted for attempted murder in connection to the stabbing & robbery of an off-duty NYPD detective in NYC on Friday are both Dominican illegal aliens who were caught and released at the AZ border by the Biden administration & both have lengthy criminal histories in NYC, including an ignored ICE detainer. Both suspects remain at large, and while NYPD hasn't officially released their names yet, @FoxNews is told they've been identified as 24-year-old SNEIDER MEJIA BAUTISTA and 25-year-old DANGELO RAFAEL JEAN CARABALLO. I'm told that MEJIA BAUTISTA, a Dominican national, was arrested by Border Patrol after crossing the border illegally near San Luis, AZ on 12/2/2022 with his family, and they were all released into the country. He and his family have had deportation orders since 5/8/2025. I'm told that MEJIA BAUTISTA was arrested by NYPD in the Bronx for criminal possession of a weapon on 10/3/2025 and the next day, ICE filed a detainer on him, but the detainer was ignored and he was released from local custody. I'm told he was also arrested by NYPD on 1/7/2025 for criminal possession of stolen property. I'm told that DANGELO RAFAEL JEAN CARABALLO, a Dominican national, was arrested by Border Patrol after crossing the border illegally near San Luis, AZ on 2/2/2023, and he was released into the country with a future court date. He has five prior arrests in NYC, but no ICE detainers were filed because he was released from custody so quickly each time. His priors include: 1/5/2024 - Arrested by NYPD for reckless endangerment, unlawful fleeing from police officer, and reckless driving 12/20/24 - Arrested by NYPD for being in possession of burglar's tools 6/4/2025 - Arrested by NYPD for criminal possession of a controlled substance 10/26/25 - Arrested by NYPD for criminal possession of a loaded firearm 7/10/2026 - Arrested by NYPD for criminal menacing involving a weapon Per DHS sources, on each arrest, he was released so quickly that he was already out of custody by the time the feds knew about the encounters and couldn't put detainers on him in time.
— Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) October 6, 2026
So far, there hasn't been any official statement regarding the identities of these goblins from DHS or the NYPD. But Fox News appears to have some information:
Both suspects remain at large, and while NYPD hasn't officially released their names yet, @FoxNews is told they've been identified as 24-year-old SNEIDER MEJIA BAUTISTA and 25-year-old DANGELO RAFAEL JEAN CARABALLO.
Mr. Melugin reports that Mejia Bautista is a Dominican national who entered the country illegally in 2022, with his family, and was allowed to remain. Bautista was arrested by NYPD for criminal possession of a weapon in 2025. Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) filed a detainer, which was ignored, and Bautista was released. Bautista and his family have had active deportation orders since May of 2025.
The other accused robber, Dangelo Rafael Jean Caraballow is also a Dominican national, who was arrested at the border in 2023 and released into the United States. He has had at least five previous arrests, including for reckless endangerment, fleeing a police officer, criminal possession of a firearm, and criminal menacing with a weapon. In each case, he was released before an ICE detainer could be filed.
There is, as of this writing, no confirmation of these two as Detective Mercedes' attackers from DHS or NYPD. But regardless of that, a look at the records of these two illegal aliens speaks with alarming clarity: These are people who never should have been allowed into the country, who should not be here now, who have committed repeated crimes and been rotated back out on the streets to commit more crimes, and who sanctuary-city New York's political structure is set up to protect. Yes, protect; it is the policy of cities like this to actively aid these people in evading federal immigration authorities.
Four weeks from today, we vote. Remember Detective Mercedes when you vote. Remember all of the victims of illegal alien criminals when you vote. And make sure that, no matter the costs, you go and you vote.