Philadelphia airport shooting: 2 more arrests made in killing of police officer Richard Mendez
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Two more people have been arrested in connection to the killing of Philadelphia police officer Richard Mendez at a Philadelphia International Airport parking garage, police said Wednesday.
U.S. Marshals arrested 21-year-old Alexander Batista-Polanco of Camden, New Jersey early Tuesday morning. The second suspect, 21-year-old Hendrick Peña-Fernandez of Pennsauken, New Jersey, was taken into custody by New Jersey State Police early Wednesday morning.
During a press conference Wednesday afternoon, Interim 1st Deputy Commissioner Frank Vanore said Batista-Polanco had warrants out of New Jersey and Scranton, Pennsylvania. After his arrest on Tuesday, Polanco was processed for charges in New Jersey and later taken to Scranton where he faced charges for a burglary.
Pena-Fernandez is currently being held in Bellmawr, New Jersey, where he is awaiting extradition to Pennsylvania.
This is the second suspect to wear Officer Mendez's handcuffs. Number 3 will have them on shortly. pic.twitter.com/OL4O5HxBqU
— Philadelphia Police Department (@PhillyPolice) October 18, 2023
Both men are facing murder charges in the killing of Officer Mendez. The Philadelphia Police Department posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, showing one of the suspects being arrested in Officer Mendez's handcuffs. Authorities said the other suspect will have them on shortly.
Police believe they now have all the suspects in custody responsible for the death of the fallen Philly police officer.
"This is our belief now that all of the individuals that were inside of that Dodge Durango the night that this incident happened were identified and taken into custody," Vanore said.
Police believe four people were involved in the shooting of Officer Mendez and Officer Raul Ortiz, including Jesus Herman Madera Duran – the suspect who died the night of the shooting after he was dropped off at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.
Officer Mendez, 50, was arriving to work with Ortiz when they observed a group of people breaking into a car in the Terminal D/E garage last Thursday night, police said.
When they confronted the group, Mendez and Ortiz were shot. Ortiz survived his injuries and has since been released from an area hospital and honored on the scoreboard at Citizens Bank Park.
"We believe through the evidence we recovered – that's ballistics, that's crime scene evidence that we now processed – that one of the accomplices fired shots. The shots came from behind Officer Mendez and we believe struck Officer Mendez and Officer Ortiz and one of the defendants that ended up deceased, Duran," Vanore said.
On Monday, 18-year-old Yobranny Martinez Fernandez was arrested in Cherry Hill, New Jersey in connection with the case.
Batista Polanco and Martinez Fernandez are charged with murder, attempted murder, conspiracy, aggravated assault, assaulting a law enforcement officer, robbery, two forms of theft, using a firearm without a license, possessing a gun charge on Philadelphia public property, obstruction of justice, tampering with evidence and other charges.
Mendez's sister-in-law said he was hoping to reach 25 years with the Philadelphia Police Department and retire. He had been on the force for 20 years.
"He is my hero. He's a hero because he did his best. He was a great police officer. He always, always, always working," sister-in-law Luisa Carrero said.
Both officers worked the city streets for years and were in the twilight of their careers working the airport unit. Their fellow officers took solace in capturing the men they say are responsible for his death.
"We've stood here too many times over the years having these same types of conversations, so that's the bitter component of it," Stanford said. "The sweet component is the fact that we were able to make an arrest as sweet as it can be," Interim Philadelphia Police Commissioner John Stanford said.
Police said they still don't know which one of the suspects fired the bullets that struck the officers. They're also still investigating if anyone else tried to help the suspects evade police after the incident.