A Child Is Killed, and a Suspect’s Arrest History Raises Questions

Good morning. It’s Wednesday. Today we’ll look at the fatal stabbing of Caleb Rijos, 14. The man charged in the killing has a history of severe mental illness, a friend said.

Caleb Rijos, 14, was on his way to school on Jan. 10 when a stranger approached him and stabbed him twice in the chest, piercing his heart and lung and killing him. The police said that the stranger was Waldo Mejia, a man with a history of schizophrenia.

In court later that day, Mejia, 29, shouted that he was “with Satan.” A friend of his, Mozart Beato, also 29, said later that Mejia had often told him of hearing voices, and that they had sent him on missions, such as to a warehouse in Mississippi.

Nearly every time high-profile killings and attacks occur in New York City, the issues of mental health and recidivism dominate public discourse. Gov. Kathy Hochul and several mayoral candidates have proposed plans to prevent such attacks, such as allowing hospitals to commit more people whose mental illness have put them or others at risk.

“The systems that we have in place to deal with repeat offenders and individuals with severe mental health issues continue to fail us,” Jessica Tisch, the police commissioner, said at a news conference after Mejia’s arrest. “My message to New Yorkers is: Something has to give.”