In the Bronx, a knock on the door of his Irwin Avenue home on the evening of May 2, 2022, proved fatal for 43-year-old Daniel Valdez. When he answered, he was met with violence that ended his life. Responding to a call about an assault, police discovered Valdez with a gunshot wound to his torso. Emergency services rushed him to a Harlem hospital, but his injuries were too severe, and he was pronounced dead.
The male victim, identified as Black or African American, had apparently been targeted, shot in the entrance of his own home, leaving a family and a community in shock.
The initial investigation into the shooting left police without a suspect, but the case took a significant turn within weeks. The focus of the investigation shifted to a family member, Daniel Valdez's own nephew. The day after the shooting, 24-year-old Jonathan Mejia of Fair Lawn, New Jersey, reportedly went to Hackensack University Medical Center with his mother, where he expressed suicidal thoughts. It was his mother who allegedly informed authorities that her son might have been responsible for his uncle's death the previous night, stating that he also had a gun.
Following this lead, Jonathan Mejia was taken into custody by Bergen County law enforcement. He was initially held at the Bergen County Jail on a 'fugitive from justice' charge before being extradited to New York to face prosecution. On May 25, 2022, the NYPD officially arrested Mejia. He was subsequently charged with murder, manslaughter, and two counts of criminal possession of a weapon. Prosecutors believe that an argument between Mejia and his uncle, Daniel Valdez, escalated into a physical confrontation that culminated in the fatal shooting. Following his arraignment, Mejia was remanded into custody to await trial.
