A Bronx man has been indicted in the 2025 killing of 14-year-old Caleb Rijos, nearly a year after the case was put on hold when a judge ruled him mentally unfit to stand trial.
Prosecutors say the attack happened around 10 a.m. on January 10, 2025, at Lincoln Avenue and East 138th Street in Mott Haven. Rijos was waiting for his school bus when he was stabbed, then collapsed after calling his father. He later died at NYC Health + Hospitals/Lincoln. Police allege that 29-year-old Waldo Mejia walked up to the teen and stabbed him several times in the chest. Investigators also linked Mejia to a separate January 5 stabbing of a 38-year-old man at a nearby subway station, who needed multiple surgeries. Mejia now faces charges that include murder, manslaughter and criminal possession of a weapon, according to News 12 New York.
Court History And Competency Rulings
The case hit a legal wall last year when a Bronx Supreme Court judge ruled on March 20, 2025, that Mejia was "mentally unfit to stand trial," the Bronx District Attorney's Office said in a statement. That ruling paused the usual criminal process while doctors evaluated Mejia and treatment moved forward. Even so, prosecutors kept the charges active on the docket while the court monitored his competency status.
Community Reaction
In Mott Haven, friends, classmates and neighbors have turned their grief into public remembrance. Vigils and a memorial walk were held for Caleb, with supporters demanding answers and justice in the case. Those gatherings included a January 11, 2026 tribute at Agnes Haywood Playground that highlighted just how deeply the killing shook the neighborhood. News 12 New York covered the memorials and statements from the family.
What Comes Next
An indictment signals that a grand jury has returned formal charges, setting the stage for arraignment and the next round of pretrial hearings. Court calendars list competency-related appearances and a 730 proceeding tied to the case in April 2026, a sign that the court is juggling both treatment questions and procedural steps at the same time. According to the Bronx District Attorney's Office, the case remains on the Bronx Supreme Court docket.
Legal Note
Because Mejia’s competency has been in dispute, lawyers on both sides are expected to keep hashing out scheduling and treatment issues as the case moves ahead. Those fights can slow down any trial date while additional evaluations or court-ordered treatment play out. Prosecutors stress that the charges are severe, and the timing of the next formal court dates will depend on Bronx Supreme Court scheduling and how motions in the case unfold.
