A 5-year-old boy and his mother were found fatally stabbed in their Bronx apartment on Sunday, and the boy’s father was found stabbed to death in the hallway.
All three members of the family — Jonathan Rivera, 38; his partner, Hanoi Peralta, 33; and their son, Kayden — were pronounced dead early Sunday morning in the building on 136th Street near Cypress Avenue in Mott Haven, the police said. Their deaths have been ruled homicides.
Authorities have not released the name of the suspect in the case, but officers are questioning a close relative, according to a police official familiar with the investigation.
On Monday, Mr. Rivera’s father, Miguel Angel Rivera, 60, stood outside his son’s building. He rested his head on a news van and began to sob. “I want to see you, I want to see you,” he said, crying.
“My son was the best father in the world. Even more than me,” he added. “What happened? I don’t know. I don’t know why. I want to know what’s happened. How? Why?”
By early afternoon, more people had gathered for a small vigil outside the building. A balloon with cartoon characters from the children’s show “Paw Patrol” was tied to the front gate. Several people had scrawled messages on it in black marker: “We love you Kay, you were everything,” one read. Another read, “My sweet baby boy Tia’s best friend I love you always and forever you are my everything.”
A cardboard sign with a note to Mr. Rivera also hung on the fence: “Lost a great snowboard friend. You were nothing but great energy bro.”
“We hit the slopes for you my friend,” the sign read.
Paulette Williams, 55, who lives across the street, said she often saw Ms. Peralta and Kayden outside the corner bodega. The boy would smile and point to Ms. Williams, saying, “Mommy, mommy, my friend!”
She watched as authorities carried the boy’s body out of the building on Sunday. “It’s like a nightmare,” she said. “My heart is so heavy.”
