Students, faculty members, and members of the Bronx Youth Empowerment Program, which Rijos took part in, gathered at the Richard R. Green MS campus on Monday evening.
"We can no longer let our children die at the senseless acts of idiots on the street," said the leader of the program, Andy King. "We're begging everybody to do the right thing and protect our children."
Fourteen balloons were released into the sky, one for each year of Rijos's life.
Rijos was killed Friday, a block from his home, as he headed to school at the Bronx Leadership Academy.
Waldo Mejia, 29 was arrested and charged in the stabbing death of Rijos over the weekend. Police say Mejia was carrying the bloody knife he used to kill Rijos when they arrested him.
Mejia told the judge that he was "with Satan." The judge ordered a mental exam.
The teen didn't know his attacker, but Mejia was known by police.
Authorities say he not only stabbed Rijos, but also a man at a subway station earlier this month. He was also arrested for allegedly stabbing a neighbor's ring camera and he was booked for gun possession, but he was released and back on the streets -- which is something friends of the victim are finding it hard to understand.
"There should be justice for him and we have to do something to change the laws of why he got killed and the person who killed him, I feel like his killing was really unjust and it was a terrible thing," a friend said.
"Caleb was a good child, played football, had a great smile and every morning gave teachers hugs when he came into the building, one of those students that everybody loved, so it's like how does he get erased, so we have to do something in honor of Caleb, his memory can't just be ignored and he can't be erased and we can't forget him," said Andy King with Bronx Youth Empowerment Program.
On Saturday, Mejia was charged with murder, manslaughter and criminal possession of a weapon. Charges could also be added for the recent subway stabbing.
Rijos is the third minor to have been killed in 2025 in New York City.
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