An employee of Whispering Oak Elementary School in Orange County has been arrested on allegations of tampering with evidence in connection with a teen's murder case. Jessica Rivera, 48, was taken into custody at her workplace by Osceola County Sheriff’s detectives. WESH reported that Rivera is accused of having connections to the incident in which 19-year-old Nekko Herrera was fatally shot.
Rivera, who serves in the school's food service, is the girlfriend of Orvill Osorio-Ortiz, recently arrested for the premeditated murder of Herrera. Authorities believe that a violent personal dispute led to the shooting. Osceola County deputies have shared that a group of five men was allegedly heading to Rivera's residence for a physical altercation with her son. During the formation of the event, Osorio-Ortiz is said to have emerged from the house and fired multiple shots into their vehicle, as per details in a ClickOrlando article.
Rivera is currently being held without bond at the Osceola County Jail. While the sheriff's office has not disclosed the exact nature of the evidence Rivera is alleged to have tampered with, her arrest at the school hints at the seriousness of the charges she faces. The Orange County Public Schools have been contacted for a statement regarding Rivera's employment, but have yet to respond publicly.
