Police said five juveniles were arrested for possession of a gun and a knife after the fatal stabbing of a 14-year-old boy in the Williamsbridge Oval in Norwood on Tuesday evening, Aug. 5, and four people have been charged with murder. A 17-year-old male youth was also stabbed during the incident, police said, and was hospitalized.

 

They said that at around 7.32 p.m. on Tuesday, police responded to a 911 call regarding an assault in progress at Williamsbridge Oval Playground. “Upon arrival, officers observed a 17-year-old male with stab wounds to his abdomen and shoulder, and a 14-year-old male with multiple stab wounds throughout his body.”

 

They said the 17-year-old male was transported by private means to Montefiore Medical Center and is in stable condition. “The 14-year-old male was transported by EMS to NYC Health and Hospitals/Jacobi in critical condition where he was pronounced deceased by hospital staff,” they said.

The deceased has been identified as Ángel Miguel Mendoza Hernández, 14, of Norwood. Police later said on Wednesday that pursuant to an ongoing investigation, the following people were arrested that day in the confines of the 52nd Precinct.

The park was full of people of all ages when Norwood News passed through it just ten minutes before the stabbing took place.

Speaking in Spanish, one young girl who said she knew Angel later told Norwood News on Wednesday that she and others were sitting on one bench in the park on Tuesday when they saw around 15 other teenagers nearby who she described as being mostly Black and wearing masks, as well as one White boy with no mask.

 

She said they stopped where Angel was seated on another bench and suddenly started kicking him and then punching him and he was then on the ground. She said there were no cops in the vicinity at the time but there were other people “all around just looking.”

 

The young girl said as she approached Angel after the assault, the group looked at her and another person called the police. She said the group left the boy screaming and his body was faced down. She said his face was “all red” and all his teeth were gone. She said she didn’t know the group and added that they had asked Angel something and he had said “no,” and had denied something before they began the assault.

On Tuesday night, blood stains and a trail of blood droplets were later seen inside the Oval near the Recreation Center end, while nearby, the remains of what looked like chemical solution stains were also seen on the ground, possibly placed there in efforts to detect the presence of (other?) blood.

A nearby business owner later told Norwood News he had seen a group of teenagers arguing in the vicinity of the park [but not inside the park] about ten minutes before the 911 call was placed.

 

Two young people were later seen in the area together with the business owner reviewing video footage of the argument that had taken place between the teenagers that the business owner witnessed. They said they didn’t believe the teens in the video were the same as those who had been stabbed. Norwood News asked the two young people if they knew more about the incident but they declined to comment. One said he was a gang member.

 

The two young people purchased some candles to erect a memorial in the Oval to Angel. Norwood News later photographed the memorial after police had wrapped up the crime scene. More candles had been added the following day and a person was seen hosing down the area where the blood and other chemical solutions were seen.

On Tuesday night, inside the Oval, Norwood News spoke to a 21-year-old man whose name the publication is not disclosing, who was shooting some hoops and listening to music, and asked him if he knew what had happened earlier.

 

The young man, who said he grew up in Norwood, said he hadn’t seen the stabbing as he had arrived later. He said he just heard about it. Asked if, generally, he felt safe in the Oval, he said,  I generally feel safe around this neighborhood but obviously there’s the occasional bad thing that happens. Usually, it’s pretty safe here so it’s kind of, you know, crazy to see like a stabbing happen and, unfortunately, someone passed so it’s crazy news.”

 

He added, “Around here, I usually don’t see anything crazy. Maybe occasionally something happens but nothing like someone dying from a stabbing, especially like a young kid like that.”

 

Another resident said a group of youths were seen in the park on motorized bikes around the basketball area earlier that afternoon around 3.30 p.m. and seemed to be agitating people.

 

The resident said she felt that something was off, had informed the Parks department personnel of her concerns and was informed by a Parks’ representative that Parks were “not supposed to say” anything [to the group] as such matters were for Parks Enforcement Patrol Officers (PEPs). Norwood News asked the NYC Parks’ press office if the representative passed on the resident’s concerns to the PEPs and will share any updates it receives. It is unknown currently if the group in question had anything to do with the stabbings.

 

According to NYC Parks, PEP officers are uniformed, shielded officers who provide security and safety in city parks, provide information about Parks rules to patrons, and safeguard Parks’ wildlife and facilities. PEP officers are empowered to issue summonses for violations and to make arrests. In addition to regular patrols, PEPs patrol city parks by bicycle, horseback and on scooters.

 

The local 52nd Precinct’s National Night Out annual gathering had been taking place in Poe Park on Tuesday night between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. wrapping up in or around the time the stabbing was reported in the Oval.

Later on Tuesday night, Norwood News witnessed the crime scene unit carry what appeared to be a large brown bag of evidence from the crime scene vehicle into the 52nd Precinct on Webster Avenue. At the same time, a group of adults with a young child were waiting outside the stationhouse door. The group were asked if they were there in relation to the earlier stabbing. Speaking in Spanish, one woman replied, “We can’t really say anything at the moment, my love.”

 

Earlier on Tuesday night, outside Angel’s home, Norwood News spoke to a man who was smoking a cigarette who said he was visiting his girlfriend at the building and didn’t know any of the neighbors. During the course of the conversation, the loud cries of a woman seemingly crying could be heard inside the building.

 

As reported, another 14-year-old boy was slashed in the Williamsbridge Oval in October 2021, and more recently, an 18-year-old man was shot dead a block from the Oval on the corner of East Gun Hill Road and Putnam Place. In June 2024, a 66-year-old man also died following a fatal stabbing inside the park. Police are seen regularly patrolling the park, including earlier on Tuesday afternoon.

 

At the time of the 2021 slashing of the 14-year-old, Youth Coordinating Officers from the 52nd Precinct had said, “Patrol will be increased by NCO D in the vicinity of Reservoir Oval park, along with patrol units who make up the majority of our officers on the street. Also, YCOs currently assist with school dismissals during the weekday. As always, YCOs are also extremely invested in assisting juveniles with attending our NYPD Explorer program, hoping to help the youth before issues like this arise.”

As reported, during a Bronx Community Board 7 (CB7) Parks committee meeting held in the Oval Recreation Center in September 2024, the topic of camera installation in the Oval was discussed.

 

To help curb crime, security cameras had been requested for St. James Park and Devoe Park in Fordham Manor, Aqueduct Park in University Heights, in the Williamsbridge Oval in Norwood, and for Mosholu Playground in Bedford Park, located next to P.S. 8, the site of a prior non-fatal shooting in 2022.

 

Bronx CB7 Parks Chair Barbara Stronczer said at the time that NYC Parks had informed her that it supported improved lighting in the parks but did not maintain or operate any type of security cameras, and that this would have to be handled by the police department.

 

Stronczer said, “I can remember asking previous council people here about putting the cameras in this park [Oval] and all and the councilman, himself, said, not the current one [Dinowitz], he felt it was an interference for people to have a camera when you’re going in and out of the park and a question of privacy and the lack of, so he would not support that.”

Norwood resident, AJ Ramos, asked if this was before a prevailing robbery pattern had been identified across various Bronx parks. Stronczer concurred that the latest park robberies brought more urgency to the request. “It may be that Eric Dinowitz might support it,” she said.

 

Norwood News reached out at the time to the councilman, who represents Council District 11, for comment. The publication had previously requested a copy of his annual budget presentation for the district since he had presented it during our summer hiatus. We were informed it was not being shared, but we received the following statement from him on the camera request.

“I’m proud to have secured $10 million in funding for Williamsbridge Oval, which is an important part of our community. While the scope of project renovations has not been finalized yet, all safety items, including lighting, will be addressed within the area that is determined to be part of the scope. In addition to this, we fund football, tennis, and cheerleading programs at the Oval, helping to keep these activities accessible to local families.”

 

The statement continued, “We also work with community partners like MPC to bring our first annual Movie Night series to the Oval. While some of the parks mentioned [in CB7’s requests] like St. James, Devoe, and Aqueduct Walk, are outside of my district, I remain committed to securing improvements for the parks that serve the people of District 11 and for a city budget that invests in our NYC parks.”

 

Norwood News understands that St. James Park, Devoe Park, and Aqueduct Walk are located in Council District 14, represented by Council Member Pierina Sanchez.

 

Norwood News followed up with the Parks department on the issue of cameras and on Aug. 7, a representative reiterated their position, saying, “NYPD is responsible for installing security camera systems. We recommend reaching out to them.”

 

At a prior joint Bronx CB7 committee meeting covering both public safety and quality of life, and veterans affairs on June 13, 2024, during the NYPD’s update, it was noted that in light of the above-referenced fatal stabbing of the 66-year-old man in the Oval at 3 a.m. in June 2024, cameras were being “reviewed.”

However, it seems this comment may not have been in reference to the future potential installation of new cameras in the park but to the police reviewing any available camera footage facing the Oval [on the Keeper’s House end, by Putnam Place] where the June 2024 fatal stabbing of the 66-year-old man took place.

 

Norwood News also reached out to the NYPD press office and the 52nd Precinct for any updates they had on the request for cameras in the Oval. The community affairs team responded saying they don’t believe cameras have been installed throughout the Oval though there may be some at the Recreation Center. They added that most cameras will be street level, if there are any.

Norwood News contacted the councilman for comment, and the city council and NYC Parks on any potential citywide plan for camera installation in parks to see what the latest status is in this regard.

 

Meanwhile, Dinowitz said of the incident, “A heartbreaking situation, but grateful to the @NYPD52Pct and all involved for swiftly finding the perpetrators and making arrests. I will continue to stand with the victim’s family and and our community as we seek justice and healing.”

 

Meanwhile, State Sen. Gustavo Rivera (S.D. 33) said in part that he was horrified by the incident, was offering support to Angel’s family, and referencing the 17-year-old youth who was also injured by survived the attack. He added that he was relieved to know arrests had been made. “It is my hope that the perpetrators are held fully accountable,” he said.

 

For her part, Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson said, “The horrific stabbing of a young 14-year-old and 17-year-old at Williamsbridge Oval is yet another tragic example of the unprecedented youth violence we’ve seen across the borough. This incident, along with several others in recent weeks, is a call to action and demands our immediate attention.”

She added, “We are sending prayers of healing to the families and are calling for urgent, focused efforts to address this crisis that continues to claim the lives of too many of our innocent youth. Our young people carrying weapons is disturbing and we must find alternatives to address conflicts without violence.”

Meanwhile, cameras or not, it seems those involved in this latest fatal Norwood fatal stabbing were not deterred from carrying it out in front of the hundreds of people who were present in the park during daylight hours on Tuesday, in the same way that those responsible for shooting four adults and two kids in broad daylight next to St. James Park in July 2023 were similarly not deterred, as reported.

 

As reported, as various community and wellness leaders gathered at a circle of healing event in the Williamsbridge Oval on Tuesday evening, Aug. 12, as part of a preorganized effort to help local youth process their feelings following the fatal stabbing of Ángel, the peaceful gathering was abruptly and seemingly deliberately and maliciously disrupted by a group of motorized bike riders.

 

For more on the topic of general NYC Parks security, click here. For more on the general topic of camera installation and use in New York City, click here, here, here, here and here.

NYPD DETECTIVES CARRY out an investigation in the Williamsbridge Oval park in Norwood on Tuesday night, Aug. 5, 2025, after 14-year-old Ángel Miguel Mendoza Hernández was fatally stabbed earlier that evening in front of the Recreation Center, and and a 17-year-old was also stabbed and has been hospitalized Video by Norwood News

Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers website at https://crimestoppers.nypdonline.org/, on X @NYPDTips.

All calls are strictly confidential.

 

*Miriam Quinones contributed to this story.

 

Editor’s Note: An earlier version of this story referred to PEPs as Park Enforcement Police Officers but they are Park Enforcement Patrol Officers. This has since been corrected and we apologize for the error.