A man has been arrested in connection with the fatal stabbing of a 14-year-old boy in the Bronx, which police described as a random and unprovoked attack. Caleb Rijos was on his way to school when Waldo Mejia, 29, allegedly attacked him and stabbed him in the heart and lungs. Caleb was rushed to the hospital but was declared dead.
Police quickly gathered information and released an image of the suspect, prompting Mejia’s arrest. Mejia is charged with murder, manslaughter, and criminal possession of a weapon. According to the NYPD, Mejia has a history of violent crime and mental health issues.
Caleb, a student at Bronx Leadership Academy High School, was described as an excellent student and football player. Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark described the attack as “unfathomable” and expressed her condolences to Caleb’s family. She revealed that Caleb called his father just before dying, telling him that he couldn’t breathe and was scared.
Mejia’s criminal record includes several previous arrests. He was allegedly involved in another stabbing on January 5, 2025, when a 38-year-old man was injured in a Bronx subway station. He was also arrested in November 2024 for allegedly stabbing a neighbor’s Ring camera with a kitchen knife, but was released soon after.
Investigators later identified Mejia in surveillance footage from the January 5 stabbing and arrested him at his home. During his arrest, he was discovered with a bloodied knife.
Mejia’s attorney has not responded to the case. The authorities revealed that Mejia had a criminal history, including an arrest in 2019 for burglary and arson, as well as prior charges for weapons possession in 2017 and 2015.
Caleb’s death was described as “absolutely senseless and tragic” by NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch, who also highlighted the failure of systems designed to deal with repeat offenders and those with severe mental health issues.
The tragic incident has put the city in mourning. The attack has raised concerns about the difficulties of dealing with repeat offenders and people with mental illnesses in the justice system.
