An NYPD detective who was stabbed and slashed seven times by two alleged Bronx attackers last week told The Post he is recovering after being released from the hospital Monday evening.

“I’m feeling much better, thank you,” Det. Jose Mercedes said by phone when reached by The Post Saturday.

The off-duty detective, a 10-year NYPD veteran, was ambushed in broad daylight on Oct. 2 while cleaning out the trunk of his car in Norwood. Officials and sources said two men riding an e-bike tried to steal the gold chain from his neck.

Mercedes, 33, who is assigned to the 44th Precinct, fought back and attempted to defend himself against the attackers.

The assailants allegedly stabbed the detective at least seven times in the neck and leg before tearing off his chain and fleeing on a motorized bike, according to police and sources.

Terrifying footage obtained by The Post showed the blood-covered officer being placed on a stretcher and loaded into an ambulance following the violent attack.

Mercedes was taken to Jacobi Medical Center, where he remained for several days before being released.

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The injured officer smiled as fellow members of the NYPD gathered outside the Morris Park hospital Monday evening to celebrate his discharge. Dozens of officers saluted and applauded while bagpipes played.

Beaming from his wheelchair, Mercedes stood and gave a thumbs-up to the crowd of officers who came to support him.

Police identified the alleged attackers Tuesday after surveillance footage captured them speeding away from the scene.

The alleged stabber was identified as 25-year-old D’Angelo Caraballo. Sneider Mejia, 24, was identified as the suspect accused of driving the bike.

Both men, whom federal authorities identified as migrants in the country illegally from the Dominican Republic, were found hiding in the basement of a home in Lynn, Massachusetts. The US Marshals Service arrested them, the NYPD said Wednesday.

The suspects will be returned to New York City to face attempted murder charges, according to the NYPD.

During a joint appearance in Lynn District Court Wednesday, the alleged attackers were ordered held without bail.

ERIE, Pa. — A 45-year-old man fatally shot eight people — including a pregnant woman, children and several relatives — inside an Erie, Pennsylvania, home before taking his own life, authorities said Saturday.

Erie Police Chief Rick Lorah said the gunman was related to seven of those killed in Friday’s mass shooting. The eighth victim was a friend of the pregnant woman.

Investigators reviewing video and audio from the scene heard what appeared to be muffled gunfire from inside the house shortly before 5 p.m. Friday. Soon afterward, two “distressed” women arrived and repeatedly struck the front door. When the gunman came outside, he shot them as they moved toward him, then went back into the residence, Lorah said.

Officers found both women dead outside when they arrived. Using a drone and a robot before entering, police discovered the bodies of a 5-year-old boy and a 1-year-old girl on the first floor, two women and two young men in a stairwell, and the suspected shooter on the second floor.

“Out of respect for the victims and the families, I will not discuss the details of what our officers encountered inside that home,” Lorah said at a news conference. “But I want our community to understand the gravity of what happened and the profound impact this tragedy has had on those involved and on our community as a whole.”

The police chief did not identify a possible motive. Investigators plan to speak with additional family members and review the cellphones belonging to the two women who were killed outside.

“They knew something was going on at that house,” Lorah said. “We have to figure out what that is.”

Police reached the home within minutes of receiving a ShotSpotter alert. The controversial system uses artificial intelligence and a network of microphones to detect sounds believed to be gunfire. Authorities said no further shots were fired after officers arrived.

Lorah said some sounds that could have been confused with gunshots were actually flashbang devices, chemical munitions deployed by SWAT officers.

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Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said he had offered his administration’s “full support” to Erie Mayor Daria Devlin, who addressed the victims’ families during the briefing.

“I am so deeply sorry. What happened to you was horrific, and there is nothing that any of us can say today that will make this any easier,” Devlin said. “But you do need to know that our entire community is with you, we’re grieving with you. And we are here to support you.”

District Attorney Elizabeth Hirz called on the public to avoid drawing conclusions while detectives continue investigating the Erie shooting.

“Please do not allow rumors, speculation or unverified information to add to the pain that these families are already experiencing,” she said.

Erie is located roughly 120 miles north of Pittsburgh.

At a campaign rally outside Philadelphia, Shapiro referred to the Erie killings along with the early Saturday shooting of two Philadelphia police officers.

“Today has been a dark day across this commonwealth,” he said.
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Families looked on in horror after a man was fatally mauled by a 30-stone Siberian tiger when he entered its enclosure at Yorkshire Wildlife Park.

A witness said the “agitated” man was seized by the throat within seconds of climbing over a fence at the wildlife attraction.

Videos shared online appear to show the tiger, named Altai, circling the man on the grass before attacking him. The victim, believed to be in his 20s, could be heard repeatedly crying, “No, no.”

Before the attack, the unidentified man was filmed kneeling with his arms spread wide as he faced the animal.

He also pointed at the tiger and repeatedly shouted, “Stop,” while visitors yelled in a desperate attempt to distract the predator.

A woman’s voice can be heard on the footage saying, “I tried to stop him.” Keepers rushed to the enclosure with gas-powered acoustic guns and fired five loud, shotgun-like blasts in an effort to drive the tiger away.

One witness told The Mail on Sunday that the man, who had a mobile phone and was wearing AirPods, appeared to psych himself up by performing a “dance” in the viewing area before scaling the fence.

Yorkshire Ambulance Service dispatched two road ambulances and an air ambulance. Paramedics carrying blood transfusion equipment tried to save the man, but South Yorkshire Police later confirmed that he had died from his injuries.

Keepers later placed black plastic sheeting around part of the enclosure to shield the area from public view.

Police said they received a report at 1.35pm that a man had entered the enclosure. In a statement, the force said: “The tiger subsequently attacked the man, resulting in serious injury.

“Emergency services attended and, despite the best efforts of medical personnel, the man was pronounced dead at the scene.

“The man’s family is aware and is being supported by specialist officers. Our thoughts are with them at this distressing time.”

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Officers appealed to the public not to share video footage of the attack.

The tiger was not injured and remained inside its enclosure. Police said there was no ongoing danger to the wider public.

Yorkshire Wildlife Park, near Doncaster, said it was working closely with authorities as they investigated the circumstances of the incident.

The park was evacuated following the attack and will remain closed today. One witness praised staff for staying calm throughout the emergency.

Altai arrived at Yorkshire Wildlife Park in February 2025 from Norway’s Dyreparken Zoo, where he was born.

A Yorkshire Wildlife Park spokesman said on Saturday night: ‘We can confirm that a serious incident has occurred today at the tiger enclosure. 

‘Our emergency response procedures were immediately activated and emergency services attended the scene.

‘We are working closely with the authorities to ascertain exactly what happened. The safety and wellbeing of our visitors, staff and animals remain our highest priority. The park is now closed and will remain closed tomorrow.’

Yorkshire Wildlife Park opened in 2009, with the Land Of The Tigers area opening in 2011. 

It is a purpose-built two-acre reserve for Siberian tigers, an endangered species with around 500 left in the wild. Photos show a high walkway for visitors and fencing above the section where the tigers can roam.

The attack comes only four months after a three-year-old boy was thrown into a crocodile pit by a man in Cambridgeshire.

An 8-month-old girl who survived a 15th-floor balcony plunge in the Bronx while allegedly being held by her mother has suffered a serious setback and is now in critical condition, according to information obtained by The Post. Authorities say the baby’s father pushed the pair.

“They are keeping their fingers crossed,” a hospital insider told The Post about the infant’s condition. “She is not doing well.”

Angel Novalty Carrasco-Ramirez was initially rushed to Jacobi Hospital after surviving the fall that killed her 23-year-old mother, Nathaly Ramirez, on Tuesday. The baby was later transferred to Cohen Children’s Medical Center in Queens.

Nathaly Ramirez’s former boyfriend and the child’s father, 31-year-old Angel Carrasco, allegedly fled the scene. US Marshals and NYPD officers arrested him Wednesday.

Carrasco was taken to Jacobi Hospital for a medical evaluation following the incident. He faces murder and attempted murder charges, although his arraignment had not yet taken place.

On Saturday, mourners gathered outside the Bronx building where Ramirez and her baby were allegedly pushed from the balcony for a vigil honoring the young mother.

About 200 people attended the memorial, which featured purple and white balloons along with heart-shaped candles. The vigil was organized by We All Really Matter, or WARM, a group that helps pay funeral expenses for victims of domestic violence.

The crowd called out, “Justice for Nathaly” and “Long live Nathaly.”

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Ramirez’s grieving mother, who also identified herself as Nathaly, thanked those who came. She remembered her daughter as someone who supported both women and men who had endured mistreatment.

“She loved honestly,” the mother and grandmother told the crowd. “She hugged with a tenderness that only had peace.”

Photographs honoring other domestic violence victims, including Lovay Williams, were displayed near the vigil.

Williams was discovered beaten to death inside her Washington Heights apartment on West 156th Street on Sept. 6. Tiliek Shamel Thompson, 41, has been charged with murder, strangulation, assault and child abandonment in connection with her death. He has pleaded not guilty.

Brianna Rios, a domestic violence survivor whom Ramirez had previously supported, also addressed the crowd and spoke about Ramirez’s troubled relationship with Carrasco.

“Nathaly, unfortunately, is being added onto this very long list of beautiful faces and names,” Rios said.

Rios urged officials and the community to pursue meaningful change in how domestic violence cases are handled, particularly when it comes to protecting women, children and families.

“The police were called to Nathaly’s home more than five times,” the 24-year-old said. “The man accused of killing Nathaly Ramirez was arrested twice — once for slapping her and once for breaking into her home. Not only was he able to get near her again, he was able to kill her.”

San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey and his wife, Olivia Culpo, have welcomed their second child, a son named Roman Augustus.

Culpo, the former Miss Universe, announced Roman’s name and September 29 birthday in an Instagram post shared Saturday. The carousel featured photos of Culpo and McCaffrey holding their newborn, along with a sweet first meeting between Roman and his older sister, Colette, who was born in July 2025. One image showed Culpo smiling beside McCaffrey as she prepared for her C-section delivery.

The couple has not said whether Roman’s name was inspired by Roman history or by the emperor born Octavian in 63 BC.

McCaffrey, whose father is three-time Super Bowl champion Ed McCaffrey, married the model and influencer in June 2024. The wedding took place in Culpo’s native Rhode Island.

Culpo had previously said she planned to wait before having another child. However, she discovered she was four months pregnant just six months after welcoming Colette.

“I did not think that this was going to happen the way that it did,” Culpo said on TikTok in May. “I am so fortunate to be able to bring another child into the world. [There were] a few things that have been running through my mind, ’cause I just really didn’t plan on this at all. … Well, I hope that this baby is healthy.”

Culpo also acknowledged that she was “definitely not totally healed” from her previous C-section.

“In the beginning, I was like, ‘Oh, my God, can I even do this? Is this allowed? Like, what’s gonna happen?’” she recalled. “I just wish that I had planned a little better.”

Culpo first revealed her pregnancy on her 34th birthday, sharing a series of heartwarming family photos from a shoot with Colette and the couple’s puppy.

McCaffrey has embraced fatherhood, as he told Us Magazine in February.

“It’s the best, man,” McCaffrey said. “Good day or bad day, you come home and seeing her smile takes all the pressure off. It takes all the worries of life away. It’s been the biggest blessing in our life.”

“Watching Olivia become a mom has been so cool. We had [Colette] in July, which was right before training camp, so I was kind of in go-mode and went through the whole season. There are challenges that come with that. So, to now take a breath and be a dad has been really, really fun.”

Since Colette’s arrival, the couple has adjusted to life as parents while balancing their family responsibilities with McCaffrey’s demands on the football field.

In a January interview with the New York Post, Culpo discussed how fatherhood has influenced McCaffrey’s outlook on losses while reflecting on his playoff defeat against the Seattle Seahawks.

“Well, first and foremost, I have always been worried about his health and safety,” she told the New York Post. “If he’s feeling good and if I notice, ‘Okay, he’s walking okay or he doesn’t look too banged up,’ I’m really excited and happy. And he feels that way too.”

“I think ultimately it’s just such a physical sport that you just want to be healthy enough to reach the goals that you have for yourself,” she continued. “I think just being there for him and definitely being sensitive to the fact that it does mean a lot, and sometimes he will be upset.”

‘Having a baby there really has changed that and made everything feel a little bit more grounded and light — and just have a better perspective because… win or lose, you still have to show up for her.’ 

Culpo continued: ‘I always knew he would be a really good dad because he’s just a really good person. And his parents [Lisa and former NFL wideout Ed McCaffrey] are just a great example. 

‘But I feel like I’m happy for the perspective that it’s able to give him, especially with his career,’ she said. ‘So I’m very grateful for that.’ 

A three-time All-Pro now in his 10th NFL season, McCaffrey had a successful campaign in 2025 after becoming a father, rushing for 1,202 yards and 10 touchdowns to go with 924 yards and seven more scores through the passing game. 

Most importantly, he appeared in all 17 games for the 49ers, who fell to the eventual Super Bowl-champion Seahawks in the Divisional Round of the playoffs.

This year, the 49ers are off to a 4-0 start thanks to 340 yards from scrimmage and four touchdowns from McCaffrey.