According to NYPD officials, Waldo Mejia attacked Caleb near the corner of E. 138th St. and Lincoln Ave. around 9:30 a.m., stabbing the boy twice in the chest with a serrated kitchen knife, piercing his heart and lung. The mortally wounded teenager managed to run to E. 138th St. and Alexander Ave., where he called his father for help, gasping that he couldn’t breathe. Caleb was rushed to Lincoln Hospital but could not be saved.

“This is an unimaginable tragedy,” Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark said, describing the heartbreak of Caleb’s father hearing his son’s last moments over the phone.

On Saturday, January 11, 2025, suspect Waldo Mejia is being removed from the NYPD 40th Precinct in the Bronx.
On Saturday, January 11, 2025, suspect Waldo Mejia is being removed from the NYPD 40th Precinct in the Bronx.

Waldo Mejia’s Criminal Past

Police revealed that Mejia has a long history of criminal activity, including four unsealed arrests. Two prior incidents involved knives, and one involved a gun. He was also charged with criminal mischief in November after stabbing a neighbor’s Ring doorbell camera but was released without bail due to the nature of the charge.

In addition, Mejia is linked to a separate attack on January 5 at the Third Ave.–E. 138th St. subway station, where he allegedly stabbed a 38-year-old man in the arm without provocation. Surveillance footage from both incidents and evidence from the crime scene helped police identify Mejia, who was apprehended Saturday wearing the same clothes as in the earlier attacks and carrying a bloody knife.

In a random knife attack, a 14-year-old Bronx boy named Dad was killed as he lay dying.
In a random knife attack, a 14-year-old Bronx boy named Dad was killed as he lay dying.

A City in Mourning

Caleb was a student at Bronx Leadership Academy and played for the school’s football team. Friends and family remembered him as a caring, well-dressed, and bright young man who was just beginning his life. “He was a wonderful boy,” his grieving father said. “It’s hard to process this right now.”

Witnesses and residents expressed outrage over the senselessness of the crime. “He was just a kid, a good kid,” a family friend said. “This shouldn’t happen to anyone, let alone a child on his way to school.”

Call for Change

Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch criticized systemic failures that allowed Mejia, a violent repeat offender with mental health issues, to remain on the streets. “A family is devastated, a city is in mourning, and the systems we have in place continue to fail us,” she said.

New York officials, including Governor Kathy Hochul and Mayor Eric Adams, have renewed calls for reforming the state’s mental health laws. Governor Hochul’s proposed legislation would make it easier to involuntarily commit individuals with severe mental illnesses, citing a recent rise in violent crimes in the subway system.

“This senseless and tragic loss should be a wake-up call,” Tisch stated. “We must take meaningful action to protect our communities and provide help to those who need it most.”

Justice for Caleb

Waldo Mejia has been charged with murder, manslaughter, and weapons possession. Prosecutors are also pursuing charges for the January subway stabbing. While the investigation continues, Caleb’s family is left to grieve the loss of their beloved son, a life taken too soon.

For the Bronx community, Caleb’s death is a stark reminder of the need for effective solutions to address mental health crises and prevent violent acts. As the city mourns, the call for justice and systemic change grows louder.

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