Fourteen-year-old Angel Mendoza’s parents had done everything they could to keep their son safe. His father even hid his sneakers in a desperate attempt to keep the boy from leaving home. But on Tuesday night, the Bronx teen was brutally killed in what police believe was a case of mistaken revenge.
Angel was killed on Tuesday, August 5, in what police say was a horrifying case of mistaken identity. According to investigators, the ninth-grader — described by family as a gentle, fun-loving boy who adored basketball, reggaeton, and time with friends — was set upon by a group of teenagers at Williamsbridge Oval Playground in Norwood.
Authorities believe the mob was seeking revenge for a fight Angel had nothing to do with. Instead, he became the target.
In a chilling cellphone video later recovered by police, the attackers can be seen striking Angel in the face with a pistol before punching, kicking, and stabbing him multiple times in the chest and abdomen. Another teen, 17, was also stabbed but survived.
When officers arrived just after 7:30 p.m., they found Angel gravely wounded. He was rushed to Jacobi Medical Center, where he died less than two hours later.
Four suspects — two adults and two juveniles — have been arrested.
- Andrew Ansah, 18
- Jordan Williams, 18
- An unnamed 16-year-old boy
- An unnamed 15-year-old boy
Ansah and Williams have been charged with murder, manslaughter, gang assault, and weapons possession. They’re being held without bail. The two younger defendants will be prosecuted in the Youth Part of the criminal court.
Police say they’ve recovered the pistol used in the attack and at least one knife.
Outside the courthouse, Angel’s father, Miguel Mendoza, spoke through heartbreak about the moment he saw his son’s body.
“His lip was cut. His front teeth were broken like somebody had hit him with a pistol. His face was bruised,” Miguel told reporters. “There is a void in my heart because my son is no longer here. He’s gone. He’s not coming back… I am filled with anger — immense anger. I want justice served.”
Angel’s mother, Ramona Hernandez de Mendoza, clutched the pillow her son slept with and could barely speak.
The family came to the U.S. from the Dominican Republic 10 years ago, and they say Angel was the heart of their home.
In the days since his death, neighbors and friends have created memorials at the playground and outside the Mendoza family’s home. Two GoFundMe pages — one for funeral expenses, the other to bring Angel’s body back to the Dominican Republic — have raised more than $6,500 combined.
Local leaders, including State Senator Gustavo Rivera and Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson, have called for greater safety measures in the park. Assemblyman John Zaccaro Jr. has urged police to take “swift, decisive action to stop the violence.”
Angel’s killing has drawn heartbreaking comparisons to the 2018 murder of Lesandro “Junior” Guzman-Feliz, another Bronx teen killed in a mistaken identity gang attack. Police are looking into possible gang ties among the suspects in Angel’s case.
Angel had no gang affiliation; his father says he had started skipping school and spending time with “a bad crowd.” Miguel had contacted police, child services, and family court for help, but he says the system failed his son.
The next court date for the two adult defendants is August 11. For now, the Mendoza family is left to navigate a devastating loss.
“He was my first son,” Miguel said. “My life will never be the same.”
Anyone with information is asked to contact NYPD’s Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS, or in Spanish at 1-888-57-PISTA.
