The Avondale Police Department has confirmed that 18-year-old Emilio Andrew Rivera, a person of interest in the tragic shooting death of a local teen, is now in custody, although on charges not directly related to this case. The arrested individual was said to have had a past relationship with the victim, according to a statement obtained by FOX 10 Phoenix.
While details of these unrelated charges have yet to be disclosed. The narrative of the victim, 17-year-old Rhiana Kemplin, was cut short on November 8 when a bullet struck her in an apartment complex situated near Rancho Santa Fe Boulevard and McDowell Road. While sleeping in her home, described on a verified GoFundMe page, the shots that ended Kemplin's life too soon.
Our hearts, like makeshift lifeboats adrift in a sea of grief, find some solace in the words of those Kemplin left behind. "She was all about 'just be you,' because at the end of the day, if you're happy, it doesn't matter what anybody else thinks," Meryssa Perkins, one of Kemplin's friends, told FOX 10 Phoenix.
The Avondale Police, persisting in their investigation, have pushed forward. No arrests in connection with the shooting itself had been made as of this writing, according to azfamily.com. Police have assured the community that there is no further threat, but they urge anyone with any information to step forward and contact the Avondale Police Department at 623-333-7000.
