Six men have been federally charged for their alleged roles in the killing of social media influencer Ariela Mejía Polanco, who was fatally shot in August 2025 while driving on the Cross County Parkway in Westchester County, New York.
According to authorities, the defendants are part of a broader investigation linking alleged members of the Bad Boys Seven gang, a faction of the Dominican criminal organization Los Trinitarios, to five homicides committed in New York and New Jersey.
Investigators believe Mejía Polanco was targeted so the suspects could steal her Mercedes-Benz G-Class SUV and may have identified her through the luxury lifestyle she shared on Instagram. Westchester County District Attorney Susan Cacace said the victim “was an innocent young woman who did not know any of these gang members and had the misfortune of crossing their path by pure chance.”
