A Bronx mother who gave 12-year-old Jacob Freytes the bicycle he rode just one day before he was fatally struck by a stray bullet is blaming New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani for allowing gang violence to spiral out of control in the neighborhood where the tragedy unfolded, the NY Post reports.

Jacob, the son of a retired NYPD sergeant, was riding his bicycle to Wanda Deli Grocery near the Grand Concourse shortly before 5 p.m. Shabbos when gunfire erupted. Investigators believe a suspected gang member opened fire at rivals, and one of the bullets struck the innocent boy, killing him.

Miledy Rosario, a mother of four whose own 12-year-old daughter was one of Jacob’s close friends, said city leaders have failed to address the persistent gang activity that has plagued the Mount Eden neighborhood for years.

“I feel that the mayor that’s celebrating in the parade right now should take better care of this block, because there’s a lot of gang members,” Rosario said, referring to Mamdani’s appearance in the Bronx Dominican Day Parade on Sunday.

She said violence at that intersection has become a recurring problem that city officials have failed to stop.

“There’s a lot of gang members. This is not the first time this thing happened here. This has been happening a lot of times. He [the mayor] should know that there is a lot of gangs on that block there, and they had to be a cleanup,” Rosario said.

Rosario argued that promises to combat crime have not translated into meaningful action and noted the apparent absence of police officers at the location on the day of the shooting.

“He’s talking about stopping violence. But it is still continuing. And so if they don’t clean that block there, we’re gonna continue to see the same thing,” she added. “Before there was police on that corner. But yesterday there was no one there.”

The grieving mother also recalled her final conversation with Jacob just one day before the shooting. After purchasing a new bicycle for her daughter, she offered Jacob the old one, an act of kindness that would take on heartbreaking significance less than 24 hours later.

“I bought a new bicycle for my daughter, and I asked him, ‘Hey, do you want [her’s]?’” she told The Post.

“He said, ‘Oh, thank you so much. 
I’m gonna talk to my mom.’ And they gave him permission to have the bicycle. … And, you know, he was really happy,” Rosario said.

Fighting back emotion, Rosario said the random nature of the killing has left her terrified for her own children.

“I’m a mom of four kids, and I’m really scared. This kid was just running around on a bicycle, and got shot. 
Jacob didn’t deserve this.”

Authorities say the Mount Eden neighborhood has long been contested by the violent Trinitarios and Sev Side Pinni street gangs, and investigators are examining whether members of those organizations were involved in the shooting.

Police arrested 45-year-old William Ferrer outside his residence on Sunday in connection with Jacob’s killing.

According to law enforcement sources, Ferrer has an extensive criminal history stretching back to 1999, including prior arrests involving drug possession, marijuana possession, driving while intoxicated, and possession of stolen property.

Following the shooting, Mamdani issued a statement expressing sympathy for Jacob’s family and the other victims.

“My heart breaks” for Jacob’s “family, friends and all those who loved him.”

“Their loss is unimaginable. I am praying for the speedy recovery of the other two victims of this shooting. I’m grateful for the hospital staff, and the NYPD for their work to find those responsible for this heinous act,” Mamdani said.

“Our children should be able to ride their bikes on a nice summer day in their neighborhood without fear of being shot. We cannot accept this violence as normal.”

Jacob’s father, Jesus Freytes, is a retired NYPD sergeant who previously served in the same Bronx precinct where his son was killed.

Rosario’s daughter, Marlyn, who had been friends with Jacob, struggled to comprehend the senseless loss, saying her classmate “was at the wrong place at the wrong time.”

Daniel Rosario, Miledy’s husband, said the shooting has devastated not only his own family but many neighborhood children who regularly played with Jacob.

“My kids are traumatized. My daughter, who was just talking to you, was in tears yesterday. Crying all night. You see them running around the street now, but they are traumatized,” he said.

Remembering the simple moments the children shared together, he added, “[Jacob] put up a little hoop outside our apartment door, and he would play basketball. He had a little ball. And my son told me last night, ‘Dad, I won’t be able to play basketball no more.’ The kids are traumatized.”

{Matzav.com}