A New York man was due in court this week to face charges connected to the fatal stabbing of a teenage boy. And his behavior in the courtroom was erratic...to say the least.
Waldo Mejia, 29, stood before the judge Sunday (Jan. 12) facing murder charges in the stabbing of 14-year-old Caleb Rios, whom authorities say was fatally stricken in the chest on East 138th Street Friday (Jan. 10) morning as he walked to school in the Bronx, per The New York Post.
However, Mejia was in court to face charges in connection to another stabbing of a 38-year-old man who survived his injuries, police said. He was arrested at his home following Rios’ death and found with a “bloody knife” and pair of white gloves, per USA TODAY
During the hearing, video evidence from November was submitted showing Mejia in a frightening frenzy, running down the stairs of an apartment and directly to a neighbor’s front door where Ring surveillance captured him stabbing the camera repeatedly with a large knife.
As the video played, Mejia began erratically shouting his affiliation “with Satan” and went on a random rant about al-Qaeda and the White House.
“My name is Waldo Mejia, so get ready to f**king suffer along with me!” I’m with Satan! Piece of s**t a** people! Get ready to f**king suffer!” he shouted, according to multiple news outlets.
One court officer described the guy as “nuts” to The Post, adding that you could look in his face and “see it.” The scene was so bad, Mejia’s attorney even told The Post they were not going to defend him in the future. The attorney added he was given a court-ordered psychiatric exam.
Authorities say Mejia had a long, documented history of mental health interactions with the NYPD. In a press conference, they described him as a “career criminal.”
It’s unclear when he’ll be back in court following the outburst. He faces charges of attempted murder and second-degree murder.