A boy from the Bronx died brutally after he was stabbed in the chest countless times, according to New York City police.
14-year-old, Caleb Rijos, was walking to school on Friday when 29-year-old Waldo Mejia brutally stabbed him in his heart and lungs. Rijos was found unresponsive outside of a building on 138th street and was later pronounced dead in the ambulance that was taking him to the hospital.
According to investigators, the attack was seemed to be random and unprovoked.
On Saturday, police announced that Mejia was not only arrested but charged with murder, manslaughter, and criminal possession of a weapon.
According to an ABC News article, “NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said Mejia was a ‘violent recidivist’ with a significant criminal history, as well as a history of mental health interactions with the NYPD.” (Reinstein, January 12th)
Police think that Mejia was also involved in another stabbing attack on Jan. 5th, when a 38 year old man was stabbed in the arm on the way to the subway station in the Bronx.
Mejia was also arrested in 2019 for burglary and arson for lighting his neighbors house on fire, and in 2017 and 2015 for weapon possession charges.
Waldo was taken into custody at his residence and was found in possession of a bloody knife, relating to the killing of Rijos.
The ABC News article stated, “‘Today, a 14-year-old is dead, a family is devastated, a city is in mourning, and the systems we have in place to deal with repeat offenders and individuals with severe mental health issues continue to fail us,’ she said.” (Reinstein, January 12th)
