A West Farms street merchant and father of three was stabbed to death on a sidewalk near the Bronx Zoo Wednesday night, leaving the victim’s friends and loved ones wondering why.

Jose Laguna-Rosada, 40, was stabbed multiple times in front of 2140 Daly Ave. in the West Farms section of the Bronx. Police responded to the call at 6:47 p.m., and emergency medical services transported Laguna-Rosada to St. Barnabas Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

“Everybody loved Jose,” said Ramon Rodriguez, 48, a neighbor of Laguna-Rosada, who intends to help his family raise money for the funeral. “When I heard the news, my tears came down.”

Known for selling DVDs on the street for $5 each, Laguna-Rosada was a beloved figure, often seen by neighbors taking his three sons for ice cream.

Danny Aris, 40, a friend who once bought a Titanic DVD from him, said that Laguna-Rosada was not involved in drugs.

When he was not selling DVDs, Laguna-Rosada worked for $8 per hour at Ragtime Pizzeria, where he helped clean the restaurant and assemble pizza boxes.

“He worked here to make some money on the side,” said Daniel Cruz, 27, a pizza-maker at Ragtime Pizzeria. “He had a decent way of talking. I actually liked him a lot.”

Cruz said he would often give Laguna-Rosada free slices of pizza.

Laguna-Rosada’s friends and nephews gathered at his apartment this afternoon on Vyse Avenue to support for his wife and children, who were unavailable for comment.