14-year-old killed on his way to school, man charged: NYPD
NEW YORK (PIX11) -- Police say they have arrested and charged 29-year-old Waldo Mejia with murder and manslaughter in connection with the death of 14-year-old Caleb Rijos.
Rijos was on his way to Bronx Leadership Academy around 9 a.m. on Friday morning when he was approached by Mejia and stabbed twice in the chest, according to Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch. He was pierced once through the heart.
Police recounted the moments saying, Rijos called his father and said he couldn't breathe and was scared, this while fellow New Yorkers flagged down an EMS vehicle to help him.
Law officials say Mejia was a serial offender known to the NYPD and had four prior unsealed arrests.
On Nov. 27, 2024 Mejia allegedly stabbed a person's ring doorbell camera, according to authorities. In 2019 he was charged with burglary and arson in connection to a house fire.
In 2017 he was found to be in possession of a loaded 9-millimeter gun and in 2015 was arrested for possession of a knife.
Detectives distributed photos of Mejia to the cellphones of NYPD officers across the city.
This is a developing story; please refresh this page for updates.
Dominique Jack is a digital content producer from Brooklyn with more than five years of experience covering news. She joined PIX11 in 2024. More of her work can be found here.