Prosecutor: Trio and teenager arrested for shooting in Paterson

Gabriel Mercado, 23, of Lodi, New Jersey, Issac Mejia, 23, of Paterson, New Jersey, Steven Batista, 20, of Malden, Massachusetts, and a 17-year-old boy from Paterson, New Jersey, have been charged in connection with non-fatal shootings in April and June, officials said in the news release.

According to the press release, Mercado and Mejia were arrested on Thursday, June 27, during a traffic stop by members of the New Jersey State Police Violent & Organized Crime Control North Bureau in cooperation with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

They were charged with unlawful possession of a firearm, possession of a firearm during a CDS offense, possession of CDS, possession of CDS with intent to distribute and possession of a high-capacity magazine, the press release said.

Mercado was also charged with attempted murder, unlawful possession of a handgun, possession of a handgun for an unlawful purpose, aggravated assault and endangering the welfare of a child in connection with a June 4 shooting.

The shooting of a 29-year-old Paterson man occurred around 10:51 p.m. Tuesday in the area of ​​10th Avenue and East 23rd Street. The man was taken to St. Joseph’s University Medical Center for treatment of non-fatal gunshot wounds.

“The subsequent investigation revealed that Mr. Mercardo was responsible for the shooting,” the press release said.

Mercardo had previously been charged in connection with a shooting that occurred at 3:14 p.m. on April 17 in the area of ​​Lyon and Mercer streets in Paterson – no injuries were reported.

For that incident, Batista and the aforementioned teen were charged. Batista was charged with attempted murder, unlawful possession of a weapon, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, possession of a large capacity magazine, driving while under attack, obstruction, hindrance and tampering with evidence. And the teen was “charged with juvenile delinquency,” according to the press release.

“The state had previously requested pretrial detention for Mr. Batista. On April 30, 2024, a Supreme Court judge granted the state’s request for pretrial detention,” officials said.

The state has filed motions for pretrial detention for Mercardo and Mejia.

More details are expected to be released at a later date, so check back here for updates.

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