NYC man accused of randomly stabbing 14-year-old has long rap sheet: Who is he?

THE BRONX - Waldo Mejia, the man arrested Friday and charged in connection with the fatal stabbing of a 14-year-old boy in the Bronx, has an extensive criminal record.

Who is Waldo Mejia?

What we know:

The 29-year-old, who has a history of mental illness, was charged with second degree murder, first degree manslaughter and criminal possession of a weapon in the fourth degree.

Mejia has an extensive criminal record dating back to 2015, having been arrested four times for burglary, arson, possession of a gun and in 2024, when he was arrested for stabbing another victim's Ring camera with a kitchen knife. He was released on his own recognizance the next day.

According to the New York Post, Mejia was booted from a Sunday hearing after "a ‘crazy’’ rant about the White House, al-Qaeda and Satan."

"He started yelling ‘White House!’ and ‘al-Qaeda!’ " a court officer told The Post. "He’s back there yappin’ now. He’s just nuts — you can look at his face and see it."

What they're saying:

"The status quo is just not working for New Yorkers," said NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch. "We do not have a system that puts the right and needs of victims first."

Who was Caleb Rios?

Timeline:

According to police, 14-year-old Caleb Rios was standing on a corner outside the Mitchell Houses in Mott Haven on Friday morning when the attacker approached him and, unprovoked, stabbed him.

The teen was found unconscious and taken to Lincoln Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

The Post reported that Mejia lives down the block from the teen’s family and right across from the 40th Precinct.

What they're saying:

"He called his father and told his father he couldn't breathe, and that he was scared," Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark said. "And his father heard him dying."

At an anti-violence rally on Monday afternoon, Rios' friends and other community members remembered him as "an amazing son, amazing student, and an amazing friend."

"New York judicial system failed Caleb," said one of Rios' friends.

"I think the city should pay for the expenses of Caleb's funeral, because that would be one of the only ways to show accountability and compassion toward Caleb and his family," another friend said. 

Subway stairs stabbing

The backstory:

During their investigation, police found video of the attack and released images of the stabber. An officer believed he recognized the suspect from another incident earlier in the week.

On Sunday, a 38-year-old man was randomly stabbed from behind on the subway stairs of the Third Avenue–138th Street station, police said. The victim was stabbed in the arm and is expected to be OK.

What they're saying:

"We were able to quickly conclude that these two incidents were connected, unprovoked and committed by the same suspect," "NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said.