29-year-old bystander stabbed to death after road rage dispute erupts in Morris Heights
MORRIS HEIGHTS, Bronx (WABC) -- Police continued to investigate on Wednesday the fatal stabbing of an innocent bystander to a road rage situation in the Bronx.
Ronald Gomez-Mesa, 29, was killed when he was stabbed in the chest near a day care in Morris Heights on Tuesday.
The incident started around 4:30 p.m. at West Tremont Avenue and Phelan Place, where two drivers got into a fender bender -- but what should have been easily resolved instead ended in bloodshed.
Police say a woman, one of the drivers involved in the crash, got out of her car armed with a bat before calling the suspect, who police believe is her boyfriend.
The man arrived and as bystanders watched, he knocked the phone out of the hand of one of them, who appeared to be recording the incident.
Police say a man on a scooter threw a bottle at the enraged couple and sped off. That's when police say the driver's boyfriend shoved another bystander to the ground who happened to be a friend of the victim.
Gomez-Mesa had been seated but then got involved and landed a few punches. The altercation continued to a side street where the victim was fatally stabbed in the chest.
Gomez-Mesa was discovered outside Rainbow Day Care and pronounced dead at the hospital. Police spent the night gathering evidence at the scene, including a knife.
On Wednesday, friends and loved ones are remembering the victim as a brother, a son and a good friend.
"Very respectful guy, you know, fair, not abusive, a good guy," said Jose Peguero, the victim's friend. "So the lady got out of the car with a bat in one hand and her phone in the other hand, and she made a phone call. And that's when this guy showed up. All I know is that she did call him, he showed up right away, and he started trying to punch people, stab people, without asking questions, without asking questions. That had nothing to do with Ronald."
There is now a growing memorial at the scene for the 29-year-old father who leaves behind a 2-year-old daughter.
"He's like loving, respectful, no one would say he's a bad kid. And the crazy thing is the problem was never with him," said the victim's sister Ronaysa Gomez. "We immigrated from the Dominican Republic here to get a better life and this is the better life that we're getting."
His cousin said she isn't surprised that Gomez-Mesa tried to intervene.
So far there are no arrests and the investigation is ongoing.
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