Man Charged With First-Degree Murder Indicted By Grand Jury

Posted

DeLand, FL - A man charged with first-degree murder will head to trial in March after being indicted by a Volusia County grand jury this week. Volusia County Sheriff's deputies arrested 48-year-old Julio Rivera on December 8, 2019, in relation to the shooting death of his childhood friend, 40-year-old Roberto Miguel Ovalle in a DeBary storage unit.   

Ovalle's girlfriend, who witnessed the shooting, said she, Ovalle, and Rivera were sitting inside the unit when Rivera shot Ovalle in the head. After the shooting, the woman said she ran to her car but Rivera followed her and got in. She said he told her that he would take care of her and her children. He got out of the car and the woman drove away.  Rivera went back to the storage unit. Deputies were already there and arrested him.

Rivera is charged with First-Degree Murder and Possession of a Firearm By a Convicted In-State Felon. The State Attorney's Office is expected to seek the Death Penalty. Arraignment is scheduled for February 4.

murder, crime, DeBary