Background: A vehicle leaves the Chester County Correctional Complex on Sunday, Sept. 3, 2023. (David Maialetti/The Philadelphia Inquirer via AP). Inset: Javier Rivera (Chester County District Attorney”s Office).
A Pennsylvania man was arrested after allegedly stabbing another man to death in a car theft gone wrong – and then stealing other cars just to drive back to his home, where he was captured.
Javier Rivera, 33, faces a slew of charges, including first-degree murder, second-degree murder, third-degree murder, aggravated assault, burglary, robbery – inflicting serious bodily injury, possession of a weapon and more. His alleged crime spree unfolded on Sunday night into early Monday morning.
On Sunday, Rivera tried to steal a BMW from a house’s driveway in Kennett Township, the Chester County District Attorney’s Office said. However, the 69-year-old owner of the car and resident of the home became aware of what was happening.
The unnamed resident chased Rivera up the driveway. At some point during the confrontation, Rivera “stabbed the victim in the torso and neck, killing him,” authorities said. Rivera is said to have then run away and “stole[n] a series of cars to evade capture.”
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At one point – as the district attorney’s office detailed – the suspect crashed into a gray Honda Accord, and when the drivers exited their car to exchange information with him, he stole their vehicle.
Rivera later drove a stolen car to West Chester – about 25 minutes north of Kennett Township – “and was confronted by two residents after he broke into a home on New Street,” authorities said.
“In the end, the Defendant returned to his Kennett Square home in a stolen Honda CRV. He was located there by police wearing the same clothing reported by witnesses, and he had a laceration on his right palm, and a reddish-brown substance—consistent with dried blood—on his shoes and shirt,” the district attorney’s office added.
Rivera was arrested on Monday by Chester County detectives and booked into the Chester County Correctional Complex. He was arraigned that same day and is scheduled to have a preliminary hearing on Aug. 20.
“This quiet community was shattered by senseless violence,” Chester County District Attorney Christopher de Barrena-Sarobe said. “Thankfully Chester County law enforcement was able to work together to identify and capture this Defendant quickly before he could hurt others.”
Kennett Township Police Chief Matthew Gordon said the attack “shocks the conscience.”
“There was no reason for anyone to be stabbed last night,” he added on Monday.
At least six agencies collaborated in the investigation and arrest of Rivera, including the Pennsylvania State Police.
Kennett Township is located about an hour southwest of Philadelphia.
