OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. – The 33-year-old woman Osceola County authorities believe was killed by her estranged husband last week previously reported multiple incidents of domestic abuse to authorities throughout the course of their relationship, court records and arrest reports show.
Nicole Montalvo's remains were found in St. Cloud on the property of her estranged husband's parents Friday. She was last seen Oct. 21 and reported missing after she failed to pick up her 8-year-old son from school.
On Sunday, Montalvo's estranged husband, Christopher Otero-Rivera, 31, and his father, Angel Luis Rivera, 63, were charged with premeditated murder in Montalvo's death.
Court and arrest records show Otero-Rivera has a history of domestic violence-related charges involving the mother of his child dating back to 2016.
Montalvo filed for divorce on Feb. 4, 2019. On the same day she filed an emergency affidavit seeking a domestic violence injunction.
However, the divorce was not finalized when Montalvo was killed, court records show.
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On Oct. 8, Montalvo wrote a letter to the family court judge asking to lift the order of protection because "it has been difficult for use all to move on with our lives because are not allowed to communicate as a family."
Montalvo also wrote in that letter that she "has a lot of trust in my in laws because no matter what happens they are always there for me and our son."
The 33-year-old's remains were found on the property belonging to her father-and mother-in-law. The former is charged, along with his son, in Montalvo's murder.
In August 2016, Otero-Rivera was charged with domestic violence battery for a June 16, 2016 incident during which Montalvo said they were arguing and he grabbed her hair and dragged her into the bedroom. Montalvo told deputies he head-butted her and slapped her face several times.
Deputies wrote in the arrest report Montalvo had bruises on her face, arm, hip and back.
On Oct. 4, 2018, Otero-Rivera was charged with kidnapping, battery and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon after Montalvo reported he and another woman, Toni Rocker, kidnapped and beat her on Oct. 3, 2018, according to the Osceola County arrest report.
According to the arrest report, Otero-Rivera and Rocker pulled Montalvo from her vehicle and covered her mouth and nose. Otero-Rivera slapped her and held a knife to her throat and told her if she told anyone she would be “killed.”
Otero-Rivera later used the victim’s card to pay for gas before letting her go, the report said. She told deputies she noticed later her debit cards and cash were also missing.
Deputies who spoke to Montalvo said her face was swollen and red and she had dried blood on her mouth.
Otero-Rivera is currently on probation stemming from that arrest on charges of intimidating a witness and two counts of illegal possession of a credit or debit cards, according to the Florida Department of Corrections.
One in three women who are killed by their abusive partners are killed after they leave the relationship, according to the National Domestic Violence Hotline.
Victims of domestic violence can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline, available 24 hours a day, at 1-800-799-7233, or in Central Florida, the Harbor House 24-hour confidential crisis hotline at 407-886-2856.