On a warm Tuesday evening, August 5, 2025, the Williamsbridge Oval Playground in Norwood, Bronx—usually a place for laughter and basketball—became the scene of a horrifying tragedy that has left a family shattered and a community reeling. Fourteen-year-old Angel Mendoza, a ninth-grader known for his love of rap and dreams of becoming a singer, was stabbed to death in what authorities now believe was a case of mistaken identity. The brutal attack, which unfolded in front of witnesses and was even recorded on a cellphone, has raised urgent questions about youth violence, gang influence, and the bystander effect in New York City.
According to The New York Post, the trouble began earlier that evening when a fight broke out between one of Angel’s friends and a larger group of teens. Angel himself, police confirmed, was not involved in that initial altercation. Later, as Angel hung out with a female friend and at least one other male teen at the playground, a group of eight to ten young people approached them. What happened next was both sudden and savage.
Sources told The Post that Angel’s male friend ran off as the group closed in. Angel, confused and caught off guard, reportedly put up his hands in a gesture of surrender. But the attackers—intent on revenge—zeroed in on him instead. Cellphone footage, later cited in court documents, revealed the chilling sequence: one assailant struck Angel in the face with a Taurus 9mm pistol, after which the group repeatedly kicked and punched him in the head, face, and body. At one point, he was even attacked with a scooter. Then, in a final act of violence, Angel was stabbed once in the chest and once in the abdomen.
Paramedics arrived at the blood-soaked playground around 7:30 p.m., finding Angel clinging to life. He was rushed to Jacobi Medical Center but was pronounced dead just before 9 p.m. A 17-year-old boy, also stabbed in the abdomen and shoulder during the melee, was taken to Montefiore Medical Center and survived in stable condition, according to PIX11 News.
In the aftermath, police recovered at least one knife and a firearm from the scene. The violence was so extreme that Angel’s father, Miguel Mendoza, later described his son’s injuries in heartbreaking detail: “His lip was cut. His front teeth were broken like somebody hit him with a pistol. His face was bruised,” he told The New York Post. “Everyone who was involved should be arrested.”
Law enforcement quickly moved to arrest four suspects: Andrew Ansah, 18, Jordan Williams, 18, and two minors aged 15 and 16. All have been charged with murder, manslaughter, gang assault, and criminal possession of a weapon. Court records show that both Ansah and Williams were arraigned and held without bail, with their next court appearance scheduled for August 11, 2025. Police are still seeking at least two more suspects, and the investigation continues into whether any of those involved have ties to the notorious Trinitarios gang—a group previously responsible for the infamous 2018 killing of Lesandro “Junior” Guzman-Feliz, another Bronx teen murdered in a case of mistaken identity.
Although the Williamsbridge Oval area is known for gang activity, Angel Mendoza was not listed in any NYPD gang database. In fact, his family and friends describe him as a regular kid who loved music and basketball, living just three blocks from the park. His bicycle, which he used to ride to the playground, remained parked outside his family’s apartment in the days following his death—a silent testament to a life cut short.
For Angel’s family, the pain is almost unbearable. His father, Miguel, and mother, Ramona Hernandez de Mendoza, have been seen comforting each other at a makeshift memorial outside their Norwood home. “There is a hole in my heart because my son is not here,” Miguel said. “He’s gone. He’s not coming back. He was my first boy. I’m very angry—a lot. I want justice to be served.” The family has since launched a GoFundMe campaign to help cover funeral expenses and to send Angel’s body back to the Dominican Republic, their homeland, for burial.
Investigators now believe that Angel was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. As PIX11 News reported, the group of attackers may have been targeting the 17-year-old who was with Angel, not Angel himself—a tragic case of mistaken identity. This echoes the heartbreak felt by Leandra Feliz, the mother of Lesandro “Junior” Guzman-Feliz, who told The New York Post that news of Angel’s death brought back painful memories of her own son’s killing: “I saw the breaking news. It reminded me of my Junior all over again. I felt broken-hearted.”
The case has also reignited debate over the role of bystanders and the impact of social media in violent incidents. According to Breitbart News, the attack was filmed on a cellphone, though it remains unclear whether it was recorded by a bystander or one of the attackers themselves. Authorities have not released the video, but the fact that someone chose to film rather than call 911 has drawn criticism. Bystander videos can help police identify and prosecute suspects, but they also raise uncomfortable questions about society’s priorities in moments of crisis.
Angel’s story is, sadly, not unique. In recent years, New York City has seen several high-profile cases where teens have fallen victim to gang-related violence or mistaken identity. The Trinitarios gang, in particular, has been linked to multiple brutal attacks in the Bronx. While police continue to investigate possible gang connections in Angel’s case, his family insists that he was not involved in any criminal activity. Instead, they remember a boy who, despite some recent rebellious behavior and struggles at school, was fundamentally kind, friendly, and full of dreams.
“He was really lovely, really calm and friendly, but he always wants to be behind his friends,” Miguel Mendoza told The Daily News. “And whatever his friend does, he was gonna do.” Despite their efforts—including hiding his shoes to keep him from sneaking out—Angel’s parents felt powerless to keep him safe. “I went to family court, they did nothing,” Miguel said. “I called the police, they said he’s a minor, they can’t do nothing. I went to ACS, they did nothing.”
In the days since the killing, the Williamsbridge Oval Playground has become a site of mourning. Bloodstains have been washed away, but the sense of loss remains palpable. For the Mendoza family and the broader community, the search for justice continues. As the legal process unfolds and police pursue remaining suspects, the hope is that Angel’s death will not be in vain—and that his story might prompt deeper reflection on how to protect the city’s youth from senseless violence.
For now, a grieving family waits for answers, and a neighborhood wonders how such tragedy could strike so close to home.