A 14-year-old boy was stabbed to death in a “senseless” broad daylight attack outside a Bronx public housing complex on Friday morning, according to authorities.
Around 9:25 a.m., behind a building on East 138th Street near Lincoln Avenue, which is a part of NYCHA’s Mitchel Houses in Mott Haven, someone stabbed Caleb Rios twice in the chest, according to police.
The boy died from his injuries at Lincoln Medical Center after the vicious attack left him unconscious and unresponsive.
A family acquaintance stated that his final words were, “I can’t breathe.”
“It’s senseless. He’s not a kid from the street,” another family friend said hours after the murder. “It’s just senseless.”
She added that “there’s no words to describe how [Rios’ dad] feels right now.”
“He was quiet, to himself. Nothing,” the friend recalled of the slain teen. “None of this makes sense.”
The family of the boy chose not to speak and asked for privacy.
In the hallway of the 14th floor, someone took a marker and made changes to a sign. The altered sign now reads, “You move like a b—h at 14 years old.”
There is no evidence to suggest that the vandalism was connected to Rios’ murder.
Surveillance images of a suspect in the brutal shooting on Friday night were released by the police as they continue to search for the person responsible for the boy’s death. Currently, there is no available information regarding the suspect or their motive. However, a family friend mentioned that the incident may have been sparked by a dispute over a phone.
“Over a f–ing phone,” the friend said. “He should have just gave the f–ing phone.”
According to sources, Rios did not have any previous arrests.
The horrific incident comes after a terrible start to the year for the city’s teenagers, with ten young people shot on New Year’s Day outside a Queens club and a 17-year-old lad shot the next day outside his Brooklyn school.
Living near the scene of the Friday murder, a resident shared her perspective on teen violence, describing it as “the worst” and attributing it to what the youth are being taught.
“When it comes down to children, it’s crazy,” the neighbor said. “Oh my God.”
“A lot of s—t be happening. It’s tragic,” added another local resident, Demi G. “It shouldn’t have to be like that — kids dying who don’t have time to explore the world.”
