WEATHER ALERT
Convicted killer Angel Rivera dies in prison from COVID complications, family says
Read full article: Convicted killer Angel Rivera dies in prison from COVID complications, family saysOne of two men sentenced to life in prison for the murder of Nicole Montalvo has died in prison due to complications of COVID-19, according to his family.
Victim’s mother testifies in murder trial for 2 men accused in Nicole Montalvo’s slaying
Read full article: Victim’s mother testifies in murder trial for 2 men accused in Nicole Montalvo’s slayingThe trial of two men accused in the 2019 murder and dismembering of Nicole Montalvo will pick up with more witness testimony.
Murder trial begins for 2 men in Nicole Montalvo’s death
Read full article: Murder trial begins for 2 men in Nicole Montalvo’s deathA jury has been seated for the trial of two Osceola County men accused of killing a 36-year-old mother in 2019 and then burying her dismembered remains on their property.
Father, son accused of murdering St. Cloud woman appear in court
Read full article: Father, son accused of murdering St. Cloud woman appear in courtCloud woman were back in court Friday morning following several motions filed ahead of the trial. A motion hearing is scheduled for Christopher Otero-Rivera and his father Angel Rivera, both of whom are facing murder charges in the death of Otero-Rivera’s estranged wife, Nicole Montalvo. The state also filled a motion to exclude evidence of Montalvo’s request to modify a temporary injunction against Otero-Rivera. The judge denied a motion to exclude evidence that either defendant had a firearm or other weapon, another motion will be revisited. AdThe father and son are due back in court March 23 for a pre-trial hearing at 9 a.m.
Family members accused in St. Cloud woman’s murder face new charges
Read full article: Family members accused in St. Cloud woman’s murder face new chargesOSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. – Osceola County prosecutors have filed new charges against two men accused of killing and dismembering a St. Prosecutors say Christopher Otero-Rivera and his father, Angel Rivera, killed Nicole Montalvo in October 2019. Rivera’s wife, Wanda Rivera, is charged with accessory after the fact to murder and tampering with physical evidence. [TRENDING: Deputies: Girl abused by children’s book author | Deputy investigated for slamming student | How to get vaccine in Fla.]AdDocuments filed Jan. 12 show that prosecutors filed new charges against Otero-Rivera and Angel Rivera. Prosecutors said her body was dismembered and buried on property belonging to the Rivera family.
Hearing resumes for 3 charged in St. Cloud woman’s death, dismemberment
Read full article: Hearing resumes for 3 charged in St. Cloud woman’s death, dismembermentKISSIMMEE, Fla. – Three suspects charged in connection with the murder of a St. Cloud woman were due in court Wednesday in an effort to get evidence tossed from the case. Prosecutors say Christopher Otero-Rivera and his father, Angel Rivera, killed Christopher’s estranged wife, Nicole Montalvo, last year. [RELATED: Crime scene photos, evidence released in Montalvo case]Rivera’s wife, Wanda Rivera, is charged with accessory after the fact to murder and tampering with physical evidence. The judge in the case first heard arguments over the evidence in October, but the hearing will resume Wednesday morning.
Nicole Montalvo’s accused killers offered man money to ‘discredit,’ ‘make her disappear’
Read full article: Nicole Montalvo’s accused killers offered man money to ‘discredit,’ ‘make her disappear’Otero-Rivera’s father, Angel Rivera, 64, was also arrested and charged in connection with Montalvo’s death. “He wanted to discredit her, for I guess, her testimony,” the man told detectives, adding Otero-Rivera wanted the mother of his child to be “looked at like a junkie.”The man told Otero-Rivera he would plant drugs in Montalvo’s car and then alert authorities in an attempt to discredit her. Upon posting bail, he also told Angel Rivera of his plan, according to the interview. He told me where she lived at and asked if I knew the color of her car,” the man told detectives of Rivera. Both Angel Rivera and Otero-Rivera are in the Osceola County Jail awaiting trial set to begin in September.
Trial in murder of Osceola County mother Nicole Montalvo postponed
Read full article: Trial in murder of Osceola County mother Nicole Montalvo postponedOSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. – The trial of three family members charged in connection with the murder of an Osceola County mother has been postponed. According to court records, the trial of Christopher Otero-Rivera, his father, Angel Rivera, and his mother, Wanda Rivera, has been delayed until September 29. The trial was originally scheduled to begin August 24 in Osceola County. Otero-Rivera and Angel Rivera have been charged with second-degree murder in the death of Nicole Montalvo. Wanda Rivera has been charged with being an accessory, evidence tampering and lying to law enforcement.
Man charged with killing estranged wife asks for trial to be moved
Read full article: Man charged with killing estranged wife asks for trial to be movedAn Osceola County man accused of murdering his estranged wife is fighting to have his upcoming trial moved out of Central Florida. According to court documents, one motion asks for Rivera’s upcoming trial to be moved from Osceola County to either Hillsborough, Broward or Palm Beach county. The second motion requests that crime scene photos showing the dismembered body of Nicole Montalvo be kept away from the jury. Montalvo’s remains were found in October 2019 on the St. Rivera’s father, Angel, and his mother Wanda, have also been charged in connection with Montalvo’s murder.
Estranged husband enters not guilty plea in murder of Nicole Montalvo
Read full article: Estranged husband enters not guilty plea in murder of Nicole MontalvoKISSIMMEE, Fla. – The estranged husband of Nicole Montalvo, a St. Cloud woman found slain last year in Osceola County, formally entered a plea Tuesday morning in court. Christopher Otero-Rivera, indicted by a grand jury last week, pleaded not guilty to charges of second-degree murder, abuse of a body and tampering with evidence. He pleaded not guilty to second degree murder, abuse of a dead body and tampering with evidence. Cloud woman | Sheriff pushes for murder charges to be filed in Osceola mother’s death]Montalvo’s remains were found in October on the property of the family’s home.
Estranged husband indicted on murder charges in Nicole Montalvo’s death
Read full article: Estranged husband indicted on murder charges in Nicole Montalvo’s deathCloud man has been indicted on second-degree murder charges in connection with his estranged wife’s death, court records show. Christopher Otero-Rivera has been in custody since Nicole Montalvo’s remains were found on the Rivera family’s yard in late October, according to Osceola County deputies. An Osceola County clerk said Otero-Rivera has been indicted by a grand jury on charges of second-degree murder, tampering with evidence and abuse of a dead body while Rivera was indicted on abuse of a dead body, accessory after the fact and tampering with evidence charges. Rivera was previously charged with abuse of a dead body and failure to report a death. He was indicted on new charges of accessory after the fact, abuse of a dead body and tampering with evidence.
Brief hearing held for man charged in slaying of estranged wife in St. Cloud
Read full article: Brief hearing held for man charged in slaying of estranged wife in St. CloudKISSIMMEE, Fla. – A court hearing was held Tuesday morning for a man linked to the slaying of his estranged wife in St. A status hearing was conducted for Christopher Otero-Rivera, who’s charged with failing to report the death of Nicole Montalvo. Osceola County sheriff’s officials say Otero-Rivera killed Montalvo, 32, in October and buried her remains at his family’s home. Otero-Rivera remains jailed for violating probation. The state, however, filed a response saying the clock started on Dec. 16, when the charge for failure to report a death was filed.
Estranged husband of slain St. Cloud mother wants charge dropped
Read full article: Estranged husband of slain St. Cloud mother wants charge droppedCloud man accused of killing his estranged wife is asking a judge to throw out one of the criminal charges against him. According to the motion, prosecutors missed a 90-day deadline to bring him to trial on the misdemeanor charge. Cloud mom’s death incriminated son in jailhouse letter | Murder suspects’ family member told detectives he saw St. Ron DeSantis signed an executive order removing the murder case from Ayala’s office and reassigning it to neighboring State Attorney Brad King. Under Florida law, prosecutors must be ready to bring a murder case to trial withing 175 days of a suspect’s arrest.
Gov. Ron DeSantis comments on Montalvo case during news conference
Read full article: Gov. Ron DeSantis comments on Montalvo case during news conferenceRon DeSantis made brief remarks on Nicole Montalvo’s murder case after Attorney General Ashley Moody wrote a letter to him, asking that her office take over the prosecution in the case. DeSantis said his office was reviewing the case and that he has been in contact with Montalvo’s brothers. “We have a lot of focus on the criminal but don’t always have a focus on the victims,” DeSantis said. The questions come amid a dispute between Orange-Osceola State Attorney Aramis Ayala and Osceola County Sheriff Russ Gibson. After that news conference, Moody stepped in and asked DeSantis to reassign the case to a new state attorney altogether.
New charge filed against estranged husband of slain St. Cloud woman
Read full article: New charge filed against estranged husband of slain St. Cloud womanKISSIMMEE, Fla. – The estranged husband of a slain Osceola County woman faced a judge Tuesday after sheriff’s officials filed a new charge against him. The Osceola County Sheriff’s Office has charged Christopher Otero-Rivera with failing to report the death of Nicole Montalvo. During that hearing, a judge set his bond at $3,000. Later on Tuesday, Otero-Rivera appeared before a different judge regarding his violation of probation charge. The trial for Otero-Rivera’s violation of probation charges is set for January 21.
Judge: State failed to file murder charge against man accused of killing estranged wife
Read full article: Judge: State failed to file murder charge against man accused of killing estranged wifeKISSIMMEE, Fla. – A man accused of killing his estranged wife could be released from jail in that case after a judge ruled Tuesday that the state missed the deadline to file an affidavit on the murder charge. Christopher Otero-Rivera was arrested on murder charges in October in connection with the death of Nicole Montalvo. Rivera remains in custody on probation violation charges. A spokeswoman for the Office of the State Attorney said prosecutors have 21 days to file charges, and if none are filed, prosecutors are afforded a maximum of 180 days. The Office of the State Attorney released a statement after Tuesday’s ruling.