Waldo Mejia’s life took a dark turn long before he was accused of a horrifying crime. A friend from childhood shared that Mejia had been battling voices in his head for years. These voices, at times, seemed to control his actions in strange and unpredictable ways. Mozart Beato, a close friend since third grade, recalled moments when Mejia would describe the commands he received. “It was something telling him these things,” Beato said. One instance, Mejia claimed the voices sent him on a bus to Mississippi, where he ended up in a warehouse with strangers. “He was like, ‘Oh man, I was bugging out,’” Beato added. While medication provided temporary relief, the voices never fully disappeared. On January 10, tragedy struck in the Bronx. Caleb Rijos, a 14-year-old boy, was walking to school in Mott Haven when he was approached by a stranger. That stranger, police say, was Mejia. He allegedly stabbed Rijos twice in the chest, fatally wounding him. Later that day, in court, Mejia shouted that he was “with Satan,” echoing the eerie descriptions of the voices he had shared with his friend. The case has left the community in shock, raising questions about mental health and public safety. ---