By Daily Mail (U.S.) | Created at 2025-01-11 19:32:09 | Updated at 2025-01-11 21:59:09
2 hours ago
NYPD officials have arrested a suspect in connection to a series of stabbings that left a 14-year-old boy dead and another injured on a subway station.
Caleb Rijos was standing outside the Mitchell Houses in Mott Haven on East 138th Street in Manhattan when he was stabbed twice in the chest at around 9:25 am on January 10.
Responding officials found the teenager unconscious and unresponsive at the scene and rushed him to the Lincoln Medical Center.
Before he could reach the hospital, Rijos was pronounced dead in the ambulance, cops later confirmed.
As of now, investigators believe the attack was unprovoked and random.
A spot of blood on the sidewalk could be seen just outside an entrance for the Third Avenue-138th Street station for the 6 train along with a single Ugg shoe.
In a press conference, Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said: 'Video shows that the victim is standing alone on the sidewalk, by himself, when he is approached by this perpetrator who immediately stabs him two times in the chest and flees the scene.'
Father Jacob Rijos described him as a 'wonderful boy' who was caring and loving.
NYPD officials have arrested a suspect in connection to a series of stabbings that left a 14-year-old boy dead and another injured on a subway station
Caleb Rijos was standing outside the Mitchell Houses in Mott Haven on East 138th Street in Manhattan when he was stabbed twice in the chest at around 9.25 am on January 10
'It's hard right now. We're sad. We are trying to discuss the next steps. We don't really know what happened,' he told the New York Times.
Soon after the incident, a person was identified as a potential suspect and was taken into custody.
Officials believe that the unidentified tall Hispanic man is also connected another stabbing that occurred on January 5.
The NYPD noted that in the earlier incident, a 38-year-old man was stabbed in the arm as he was walking into a subway station at the corner of East 138th Street and Third Avenue.
He was taken to a nearby hospital, where he received seven stitches.
'At this time, we believe the two incidents are connected and were committed by the same perpetrator,' Chief Kenny said during the conference.
Officials have yet to release the name and more information about the alleged suspect.
This comes a week after a suspect stabbed a man on the New York City subway on New Year's Day - as the Big Apple sees a spike in transit crimes.
A spot of blood on the sidewalk just outside an entrance for the Third Avenue-138th Street station for the 6 train and a single Ugg shoe could be seen at the scene
Responding officials found the teenager unconscious and unresponsive at the scene and rushed him to the Lincoln Medical Center
An unidentified suspect fled the 14th Street Station in Lower Manhattan on Wednesday morning after allegedly stabbing the 31-year-old man on a northbound 2 train. He fled to the streets around 9:45 am, police confirmed to DailyMail.com.
The suspect has been described as a black man who was seen wearing a black puffer jacket, dark sweatpants, and carrying a red suitcase.
The MTA confirmed police were responding to a 'disruptive' person at the station and told riders to expect delays on the red line.
The suspect allegedly fled the station through the 12th Street and 7th Avenue exit.
'The investigation remains ongoing,' an NYPD spokesperson told DailyMail.com.
The victim sustained back injuries and was taken to Bellevue Hospital in stable condition, the spokesperson said.
Leading up to the New Year, New Yorkers have faced a series of brutal subway crimes, including the death of a woman who was set on fire by a migrant.
Debrina Kawam, 57, of New Jersey, was allegedly set on fire by illegal immigrant Sebastian Zepeta, who cops say used a lighter before fanning the flames with his shirt.
Officials believe that the unidentified tall Hispanic man is also connected another stabbing that occurred on January 5
The NYPD noted that in the earlier incident, a 38-year-old man was stabbed in the arm as he was walking into a subway station at the corner of East 138th Street and Third Avenue
Officials have yet to release the name and more information about the alleged suspect
Zepeta, 33, is facing murder and arson charges following the horror incident.
Officials used fingerprint data, dental records and DNA evidence to identify Kawam, and said she was believed to have been homeless. She was originally from Tom's River, New Jersey.
Kawam was reportedly sleeping on the subway car around 7:30am at the Coney Island-Stillwell Avenue station in Brooklyn when she was set ablaze.
The footage of the moments after Kawam was set on fire went viral as it showed an NYPD officer walking past the fire while a man, allegedly Zepeta, watched on.
NYPD Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch told a press conference that officers who responded were not aware the suspect was on the scene at the time.
