Tragedy struck the Bronx community as a young teenager's life was claimed in a brutal and unprovoked attack. Fourteen-year-old Caleb Rijos was fatally stabbed while en route to Bronx Leadership Academy, an act that has since led to an arrest and police uncovering a disturbing history of the accused. Waldo Mejia, 29, was charged with the murder of Rijos, along with manslaughter and criminal possession of a weapon, as reported by the Gothamist.
As he was struggling for his life, Caleb managed a phone call to his father, conveying his fear and difficulty in breathing; his father, devastatingly, bore auditory witness to his son's final moments. NYPD officials disclosed that surveillance footage captured Mejia's alleged approach and the stabbing incident on 138th Street. Mejia has a "documented history of mental health interactions with the NYPD," as NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch indicated in statements obtained by the Gothamist.
Commissioner Tisch further called attention to the systemic failures that have allowed such tragic events to unfold, remarking during a news conference, "Today, a 14-year old-boy is dead. A family is devastated, a city is in mourning, and the systems that we have in place to deal with repeat offenders and individuals with severe mental health issues continue to fail us," as per a report by the New York Post. It should be noted that citywide stabbings have shown a slight decrease, with 63 incidents as of January 5 compared to 78 in the same period in 2024, police data suggested.
Mejia's criminal record includes at least four prior arrests, and his mental health history has been an ongoing interaction with law enforcement. Detectives primarily identified him after he was previously charged for damaging a doorbell camera with a knife and released on his own recognizance. Shown footage from the same camera, an arresting officer recognized Mejia as the assailant, according to the New York Post. Commissioner Tisch criticized the criminal justice system's revolving door that saw Mejia back on the streets and eventually connected to another attack earlier this month near a subway station.
As this investigation continues, the community and city officials express a fervent hope for systemic reforms following these events. Mejia is scheduled to appear in court on January 21 for the incident involving the doorbell camera.
