© Liz Rattoballi for 77WABC
(Bronx, NY) – There has been a surge in teen deaths in the city marking a grisly start to the new year. On Friday morning, cops discovered a 14-year-old boy, Caleb Rijos, with multiple stab wounds to his chest. Police were responding to a 911 call when they found the boy unconscious. He was rushed to the hospital but pronounced dead in the ambulance ride over. The NYPD announced today that a person of interest was being questioned – and that suspect may be linked to another stabbing attack. The suspect – Waldo Mejia – is being investigated for the two crimes that happened just days apart.
NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny says a transit cop recognized the suspect from surveillance footage in the Rijos stabbing and linked him to a stabbing on January 5th on a 6-train platform in the Bronx. In this incident, the suspect jumped a victim going down the stairs and stabbed him in the arm. Mejia reportedly has a lengthy rap sheet according to Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch and is facing murder charges.
This latest killing is the third teen death so far this year. Back on January 3rd, two 17-year-olds were shot in the Bronx. Andrew Mora was shot in the chest and died, while the other victim was taken to the hospital in stable condition. Then moments later that same day in Harlem, a 17-year-old boy was stabbed to death.
