5-year-old boy and parents are stabbed to death in Bronx Building

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 at the building on 136th Street near Cypress Avenue in Mott Haven, police said. Their deaths are ruled a homicide.

Authorities have not released the name of the suspect in the case, but officers are questioning a close family member, according to a law enforcement official familiar with the investigation.

On Monday, Mr. Rivera’s father, Miguel Angel Rivera, 60, stood outside his son’s building. He laid 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 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 scribbled a message on it in black marker: “We love you Kay, you were everything,” someone said. Another read: “My sweet baby boy, Tia’s best friend, I love you always and forever you are my everything.”

Also hanging on the fence was a cardboard sign with a note to Mr. Rivera: “I have lost a great snowboarding friend. You were nothing but amazing energy, bro.”

“We went to 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 smiled and pointed to Mrs. Williams and said, “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.”