Officials revealed in a release that Gabriel Mercado, a 23-year-old from Lodi, NJ, Issac Mejia, a 23-year-old from Paterson, NJ, Steven Batista, a 20-year-old from Malden Massachusetts, and a 17-year-old boy from Paterson, NJ, have been charged in connection with non-fatal shootings that took place in April and June.
According to the release, Mercado and Mejia got arrested on Thursday, June 27, during a traffic stop by the New Jersey State Police Violent & Organized Crime Control North Bureau in collaboration with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tabacco, Firearms, and Explosives.
As per the release, they faced charges for Illegal Possession of a Weapon, Possession of a Weapon during a CDS Offense, Possession of Controlled Dangerous Substances, Possession of Controlled Dangerous Substances with the Intention to Distribute, and Possession of a Magazine with High-Capacity.
In relation to a shooting that took place on June 4, Mercado faces charges of Attempted Murder, Unlawful Possession of a Handgun, Possession of a Handgun for an Unlawful Purpose, Aggravated Assault, and Endangering the Welfare of a Child.
A 29-year-old man from Paterson was shot on a Tuesday night at around 10:51 p.m. The incident occurred in the vicinity of 10th Avenue and East 23rd Street. The victim was later transported to St. Joseph’s University Medical Center to receive medical attention for the non-fatal gunshot wounds.
According to the release, it was discovered during the investigation that the shooting was carried out by Mr. Mercardo.
On April 17 at 3:14 p.m., there was a shooting near Lyon and Mercer streets in Paterson. Mercardo was already facing charges related to this incident, but no injuries were reported.
In relation to the incident, Batista and the teenager previously mentioned faced charges. Batista faced multiple charges, including attempted murder, unlawful possession of a handgun, possession of a handgun for an unlawful purpose, possession of a large capacity magazine, joyriding, obstruction, hindering, and tampering with evidence. The teenager, on the other hand, was charged with acts of juvenile delinquency as stated in the release.
According to officials, Mr. Batista had previously been filed for detention by the State. The State’s Motion for pre-trial detention was granted by a Superior Court Judge on April 30, 2024.
Mercardo and Mejia are facing pretrial detention as the State has filed motions against them.
