A 22-year-old Bronx man was stabbed to death by a Long Island homeowner who caught him and two others trying to steal the wheel rims and tires from the SUV parked in his driveway, authorities say.
According to police, Jacob Alvarenga Mejia was at his Jericho Turnpike Home on Saturday, May 13 when he noticed three people messing with his 2023 Toyota Highlander. He went outside with a large kitchen knife — it was 1:30 a.m. — cops say, and stabbed one of the men, Luis Pena, multiple times in the upper torso before the group ran off.
Pena was taken to a hospital by the other two men. He died a short time later.
Mejia was arrested in the case on Thursday following an investigation. Detectives claim he was the aggressor in this case. They say he may have been angry his tires were stolen two months after a catalytic converter theft.
Mejia is charged with first-degree assault and first-degree manslaughter. He is expected to be arraigned in Hempstead court later Friday. Attorney information for him wasn’t immediately available.
