Teen arrested, facing murder charges in Avondale girl's shooting death: PD
AVONDALE, Ariz. - Avondale Police have arrested an 18-year-old man in the shooting death of a West Valley teen.
The backstory:
The victim, identified as 17-year-old Rhiana Kemplin, was shot at an apartment complex near Rancho Santa Fe Boulevard and McDowell Road on Nov. 8. Police said she was taken to the hospital in critical condition, and died on the same day.
Friends describe Kemplin as being as full of life as it gets and someone who was always the person looking to include others.
"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," said one of Kemplin's friends, Meryssa Perkins.
What we know:
On Nov. 15, Avondale police announced the arrest of 18-year-old Emilio Andres Rivera in connection with the homicide of Kemplin. Detectives developed probable case to arrest him on "charges directly related to Ms. Kemplin's murder," the release said.
Rivera was taken into custody at a Buckeye home and booked into the Maricopa County jail on charges of first-degree murder and attempted second-degree murder.
"Mr. Rivera was previously in a relationship with the victim in this case," read a portion of the initial statement from police on Nov. 13.
New details in Avondale teen's murder revealed
Police in Avondale say a person of interest in the murder of a 17-year-old girl is in custody on unrelated charges, and court documents are giving us new details on what allegedly led up to Rhiana Kemplin's death. FOX 10's Marc Martinez reports.
Dig deeper:
On Nov. 13, we received court documents related to Rivera, which gave new details surrounding what allegedly happened.
Investigators said officers were called to the home for a shooting call. The person who made the call was the victim's mother, who said she believed her daughter's ex-boyfriend shot the victim.
It should be noted that while Kemplin was not identified in court documents, Avondale Police did identify her as the victim on Nov. 11.
When police arrived at the home, Kemplin was found laying on the bed in her bedroom.
"It appeared that Victim had been asleep in her bed when she was shot," read a portion of the court documents.
Officials said Kemplin's mother told officers at the scene that she was "startled awake by her bedroom door being forced open," and gave a description of the suspect to police.
"Mother stated the male suspect was pointing a firearm at her and he pulled the trigger," investigators wrote. "The firearm made a click sound, but did not fire. Mother stated she grabbed a pillow, held the pillar in front of her face, and began begging the suspect not to shoot her."
The victim's mother later heard another click of the firearm, according to investigators, and "believed the suspect attempted again to shoot her."
"Mother stated the suspect then left, running from the apartment through the front door," read a portion of the court documents.
Per court documents, the mother stated that she believed the suspect was Rivera.
"Mother stated [Rivera] and Victim had a very hostile relationship, as they argued and fought a lot," investigators wrote. "Mother reported because of violent behavior and hostile relationship, Mother did not allow [Rivera] inside her apartment."
However, investigators said according to Kemplin's mother, Rivera was "known to sneak into [Kemplin's bedroom] through her window."
What they're saying:
Police said Rivera was eventually found in a rideshare vehicle. In an interview that was done after Rivera was read his Miranda rights, Rivera said he texted the victim and asked to come over to her place late on Nov. 7, to which she said yes. Rivera said he got to the victim's apartment at around 11:45 p.m.
Investigators stated during the interview, Rivera revealed that he and Kemplin had an argument and a fight. He denied any assault against Kemplin, and alleged it was actually Kemplin who got on top on him and tried to hold him down.
Emilio Rivera (Courtesy: Maricopa County Sheriff's Office)
"[Rivera] provided a great deal of details regarding most of his movements prior to being at Victim's residence. However, when asked about the altercation between him and Victim, [Rivera] was not able to clarify what happened," investigators wrote.
Rivera also told police that after he returned to his home and spoke with a friend for hours, he returned to Kemplin's apartment complex and "to slash tires in the complex because he was upset and did not want Victim to have the freedom to easily drive around to see other men."
Investigators allege that Rivera slashed the tires of 14 vehicles within the apartment complex.
As for the deadly shooting, investigators said Rivera repeatedly denied shooting Kemplin, and said while his mother has a weapon, he had never touched it, and he does not have any weapons personally.
"We extend our deepest and most heartfelt condolences to Ms. Kemplin’s family and friends. We are grateful to our community for its continued support and compassion during this profoundly difficult time," Avondale Police said.
Police said Rivera was a person of interest in the murder and took him into custody on unrelated charges on Nov. 13.
What's next:
Per court documents, Rivera is accused of 14 counts of criminal damage in connection with the tire-slashing incidents. As for the shooting that resulted in Kemplin's death, an investigation remains ongoing.
Anyone with additional information about the incident is asked to contact the police department at 623-333-7000.
The Source: Information for this article was gathered from a statement released by the Avondale Police Department, with supplemental information gathered from relevant court documents.