An Avondale community grapples with the aftermath of a tragic event as 18-year-old Emilio Andres Rivera is accused of killing his ex-girlfriend, 17-year-old Rhiana Kemplin, and attempting to murder her mother. Rivera, who was apprehended by police last Friday, allegedly broke into Kemplin's apartment and fired the fatal shot; he also reportedly attempted to shoot Kemplin's mother, whose intervention may have saved her own life through what was sheer providence as the gun clicked empty twice before Rivera fled the scene, based on reports from FOX 10 Phoenix.
In a court appearance, Rivera faced a judge who informed him of the first-degree murder charge, and although the accused denied shooting Kemplin, investigators matched the ballistic evidence to a gun found at his mother's residence, furthermore they also found a ski mask which strengthens the connection to the crime scene with Rivera's account of slashing tires in the same apartment complex to ostensibly restrict her contact with others only raising questions about his denial. "There was a ballistics match to a firearm that was found in Mr. Rivera's home," a court official confirmed, as explained by FOX 10 Phoenix.
Rivera, who lived a short distance from Kemplin's residence, is claimed to have had a tumultuous relationship with the victim, leading to her mother barring him from the apartment due to their frequent altercations, according to azfamily.com. Neighbor Miguel Nazario described the victim as "Always nice. Always smiling. Always laughing," a somber counterpoint to the scene now marked by memorials of flowers, candles, and toys.
Amidst the investigation, court records reveal that Rivera initially went to Kemplin's apartment after receiving consent through text, yet upon entering, after he purportedly discovered evidence of her infidelity, an argument ensued, devolving into physical altercation, although Rivera denies hitting Kemplin, that he left afterward is certain he admits he later returned to vandalize vehicles as an act of retribution; he was eventually taken into custody for the tire slashings alone not initially for Kemplin's demise, as azfamily.com detailed. He faces 14 counts of criminal damage with a bond set at $10,000 and is considered a person of interest in the murder.
The tragic loss of Kemplin has left friends and the community mourning, with one friend lamenting, "She didn’t deserve this. She didn’t deserve it" as reported by FOX 10 Phoenix. Rivera remains in custody on a $1 million cash bond with a scheduled court date on November 20th, as Kemplin's family contends with the agony of loss and the burden of funeral expenses, which they hope to alleviate through a GoFundMe campaign.
