A person was arrested on homicide costs late Friday, believed to be answerable for two mindless stabbings within the Bronx, one in every of which left a 14-year-old boy lifeless.
Police stated investigators have been in a position to hyperlink the identical man from a lethal stabbing earlier that morning to a separate “unprovoked” stabbing on Jan. 5, additionally within the Bronx.
Round 9:30 a.m. Friday morning, police stated the 14-year-old Caleb Rijos was on a sidewalk close to E 138th Road and Lincoln Avenue when the unknown assailant approached and delivered a pair of lethal blows.
“Video shows that the victim was standing alone on the sidewalk by himself when he is approached by this perpetrator who immediately stabs him two times in the chest and flees the scene,” Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny stated at an in a single day press convention.
Rijos was taken to Lincoln Hospital however didn’t survive his accidents.
— NYPD NEWS (@NYPDnews) January 11, 2025
The NYPD obtained surveillance photographs from the sidewalk slaying and circulated them throughout the division, Kenny defined. A transit bureau cop acknowledged the alleged attacker from an earlier stabbing at E 138th Road and Third Avenue and notified detectives.
On Jan. 5, Kenny stated a 38-year-old man was descending the steps right into a subway station when he was attacked from behind. The suspect allegedly stabbed the person within the left arm. Police stated he was taken to an space hospital the place he acquired a number of stitches.
“At this time, we believe the two incidents are connected and were committed by the same perpetrator,” Kenny revealed. “We have a person of interest in custody at this time and are working closely with the Bronx District Attorney’s office to determine possible charges.”
A second press convention was held Saturday afternoon the place NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch recognized the alleged killer as 29-year-old Waldo Mejia. She labeled the Bronx man as a profession legal with a documented “history of mental health interactions with the NYPD.”
“Today, a 14-year-old boy 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,” Tisch stated.
