A mentally ill man from the Bronx, Waldo Mejia, had a history of erratic behavior that went unchecked by New York City’s legal system until he allegedly killed a 14-year-old boy. This case has sparked calls for changes in the state’s involuntary commitment laws to prevent similar tragedies from occurring in the future. Mejia had a long history of mental health issues, including incidents of violence and threats, yet he was able to avoid proper treatment until the fatal stabbing of Caleb Rijos. Despite efforts to address Mejia’s mental health, he continued to spiral out of control, culminating in the tragic death of Rijos. The state government is now under pressure to revise its involuntary commitment laws to prevent individuals like Mejia from slipping through the cracks and causing harm to others. It was uncertain whether Mejia had undergone a psychological examination in any of his previous cases.
“That’s the crux of the matter, because it’s evident that this individual has pre-existing mental health issues, is incapable of taking care of himself,” Brackley informed The Post. “So, at some point, he was in a situation where he was not receiving proper medication.”
New York’s bail reforms also limited the judge’s discretion in the doorbell case, according to Bederow, a former Manhattan prosecutor.
The possibility of bail eligibility and consideration of Mejia’s potential danger could have led to a mental competency evaluation, potentially resulting in his commitment rather than release back into the community.
“It’s a case of someone slipping through the cracks,” Bederow remarked.
Authorities suspect that Mejia, who was free and reportedly unstable, randomly attacked a commuter at a Mott Haven train station on January 5.
A week later, Rijos was stabbed twice in the chest by Mejia while walking to school along East 138th Street, as per police reports.
As he lay dying, Rijos called his father, expressing fear and difficulty breathing, Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark informed the media.
One of the Rijos’ neighbors, Ideliz Rodriguez, 47, mentioned that the father of the teenager has been profoundly affected by the senseless stabbing.
“He walks with his head down or looks straight ahead when he’s coming into the building,” she observed.
Elizabeth Lawson, another family friend, described Rijos’ father as being consumed by anger.
“He’s messed up. He’s upset all the time,” she stated.
“This should have never happened. They always wait for something to happen in order for them to do something.”
In the lobby of Rijos’ apartment building, his friends and neighbors created a memorial, adorned with posters, balloons, and flowers, along with messages of love and calls for justice written on the walls.
“One note read, ‘Mental illness is not an excuse to take an innocent life!'”
— Additional reporting by Amanda Woods and Kyle Schnitzer
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