A Florida cafeteria worker has been arrested for hiding evidence after her boyfriend killed a teen who came to beat up her son, police say.
Jessica Rivera, a 48-year-old food service employee at Whispering Oak Elementary in Orange County, was taken into custody at work.
Police say she tampered with evidence, including while she was working at the elementary school, in their investigation into the shooting of Neiko Herrera, 19.
Herrera and four other young men came to Rivera’s home last month because one of them had arranged for a fist fight with her son.
Cops say that the teens came to the home over an argument about a girl that they wanted to resolve in person.
When the group pulled up in front of the home in a gated RV park near St. Cloud — which is about 25 miles south of Orlando — Rivera’s boyfriend, Orvill Osorio-Ortiz, went outside and started shooting at the car, according to police.
Herrera was killed in the shooting and another member of his group was injured in what police have called an ambush.
Police say Osorio-Ortiz anticipated the meeting, arming himself with a Glock-style gun.
Hererra’s mother, Monique, told WESH 2 News, "I am so relieved that an arrest has been made in connection with my son’s murder. While this doesn’t ease the pain of losing him, it is a step toward justice.
“My son, Neiko Herrera was a visionary, a leader, and a young man full of purpose. He poured his heart into building his clothing line, Revenge Riches, with the message: ‘The best revenge is success.’”
Monique said the family will continue his legacy by sharing his story and growing his clothing brand.
“We want the world to know who he was — not just how he died, but how he lived,” she said.
It is unclear what exactly Rivera is accused of doing to tamper with evidence.
Meanwhile, Osorio-Ortiz faces a first-degree murder charge and four counts of attempted first-degree murder.
