A suspect who had been on the lam for over six years was behind bars in Hall County Tuesday, charged with murder and other offenses in the March 2010 beating death of a 67-year-old man.
"Brian Rivera was captured by the US Marshals’ and extradited back to Hartsfield Jackson airport where we had deputies awaiting to take him into custody. Rivera was booked into our jail on Friday the 27th and has since had his first appearance. Rivera waived his right to a committal hearing," Hall County Sheriff's Deputy Nicole Bailes wrote in an email release.
Bailes said in a phone interview that Rivera was captured in Mexico.
"The circumstances surrounding his arrest and what he had been doing for the past six years... that's information that we don't have," Bailes said in the phone interview. "We just know that we had reached out to the U.S. Marshals for assistance to locate Mr. Rivera, and obviously for the past 6 years they've gained intelligence on him in Mexico and took him in to custody."
Brian Martin Rivera-Villa, 22, was 16 at the time of the crime.
The body of the victim, Ramon Hernandez, was discovered by a co-worker at East Ridge Mobile Home Park. Investigators in 2010 said robbery was the apparent motive in the beating.
Two other teenagers, Daniel Vilchis-Avala and Nelson Vaca, were indicted along with Rivera in September of 2013. Vilchis-Avala was 16 and Vaca was 17 at the time of the crime.
Vilches-Ayala pleaded guilty in September of 2010 and was sentenced to life in prison.
Vaca is also serving a prison sentence in the case. His offenses are listed as attempted armed robbery, burglary, conspiracy to commit murder and aggravated assault, according to the Georgia Department of Corrections website. The site shows Vaca's sentence beginning in July of 2011.
Authorities in 2010 said all three suspects were believed to be members of the street gang SUR 13.
Rivera remained in the Hall County Jail Monday afternoon. He faces charges including murder, felony murder, aggravated assault and battery, attempted armed robbery and burglary. He also faced charges of false imprisonment, kidnapping with bodily injury and violation of the Georgia Street Gang Terrorism and Prevention Act. Authorities also placed an immigration hold on Rivera.
