Man randomly stabbed to death in front of wife in the Bronx: NYPD
FILE - File image of crime scene tape. (FOX TV Stations)
NEW YORK - The NYPD is investigating after a man was seemingly randomly stabbed to death in front of his wife in the Bronx on Thursday.
Police say that Nathaniel Rivers was sitting inside his car around 1:15 p.m. near East 205 Street and Decatur Avenue in the Norwood section when he was reportedly approached by 19-year-old Franklin Mesa.
After a short exchange of words, authorities say Mesa suddenly stabbed Rivers in the chest with a knife.
The New York Post reports that Rivers' wife was sitting in the car at the time of the stabbing, and attempted to fight off Mesa with a pry bar before Mesa ran away.
EMS rushed Rivers to Saint Barnabas Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Mesa was arrested soon afterward and has been charged with murder, manslaughter, and criminal possession of a weapon.
The Post also reports that Mesa is a known problem in the neighborhood, and has a history of serious mental health problems. He was arrested previously in April 2021 for misdemeanor assault.