Man accused of fatally stabbing teen on way to school appears in court
Baez said she came to court expecting to hear a slew of charges brought against Mejia.
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The family of Caleb Rijos, a 14-year-old who was fatally stabbed on his way to school, were in court on Monday for the trial of suspect Waldo Mejia.
“I didn’t want to look because I didn’t want to have nightmares,” said Caleb’s sister, Bethany Baez.
Baez said she came to court expecting to hear a slew of charges brought against Mejia.
Instead, the defense requested more time to review the results of a mental evaluation to determine whether Mejia is mentally fit for trial.
“If you were fit enough to do something like they did to hurt someone and know where to hurt them then there’s no excuse for mental illness,” Baez said.
Mejia, who has a violent criminal record and a history of mental health issues, has been released.
Just days before the incident, police say Mejia stabbed someone in a subway station, just feet away from where Rijos was killed.
Days later, on Jan. 10, Mejia is accused of fatally stabbed Rijos while the teenager was waiting for the bus to school.
“He should be in school right now. I should be calling him to see if he ate. I should be calling him to see if he made it to school,” Baez said.
Baez says her brother would have been a sophomore, playing on his high school’s football team. Now, she spends every day thinking about the last time she saw him.
“It feels like yesterday every single day. And it hurts,” she added.
Mejia will remain in the custody of the Office of Mental Health and Hygiene until his next court appearance at the end of November.
Caleb’s sister, Bethany Baez, says she will be at every court date until her brother gets the justice he deserves.
