After a weeklong manhunt, Terry Bryan Rivera, the man accused of the fatal shooting of 12-year-old Carlos Fernandez, has been apprehended at the U.S.-Mexico border near Brownsville, as confirmed by Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez in a statement to KHOU 11 News. Rivera, 27, of Pasadena, was nabbed by Customs and Border Protection agents on the Gateway International Bridge after checks of his ID revealed an outstanding warrant for murder, detailed by the Cameron County Sheriff's Office.
Also under scrutiny is Alva Cornejo, Rivera’s mother, who's accused of hindering the search for her son, an allegation that came to light in her first court appearance after investigators uncovered evidence of her aiding Rivera’s escape; for example, by allowing him to use her phone to contact individuals to assist in his flight from justice and then deleting those texts, as reported by the Houston Chronicle, also she conducted internet searches on how to get to the Mexican border.
Fernandez's tragic death, occurring at an apartment in Houston's Cloverleaf area on March 4, has plunged the community into mourning. The child heroically rushed to check on his sisters amid a disturbance, only to be shot by Rivera, says the Harris County Sheriff's Office. Rivera faces charges of capital murder, and the Harris County District Attorney's Office has noted his criminal past, including previous charges for assault and firearms offenses.
Fernandez's mother, Ashley Rostro, beset by grief, remarked on Rivera's prior abusive behavior and threats. She had even sought a restraining order mere days before the deadly incident yet, tragically, no order was in place at the time of the shooting, a detail provided by the Harris County Sheriff's Office senior deputy Thomas Gilliland. In a poignant recollection to KHOU 11 News, Rostro described her son as "my protector," a touching testament to the boy's bravery.
The case continues to develop, with Rivera now held in Cameron County while Alva Cornejo is detained at the Harris County Jail with a bond set at $25,000. Local law enforcement continues to urge the public to come forward with any information that might aid their investigation into the circumstances surrounding young Carlos Fernandez's senseless murder.
