Man charged in fatal stabbing, series of car thefts in Chester County on Sunday night
Javier Rivera, 33, was found at his Chester County home with one of the stolen vehicles parked out front, police said.
A 33-year-old man was charged with first-degree murder and numerous related offenses for a series of crimes that included the stabbing death of a 69-year-old man during an attempted carjacking, the Chester County District Attorney’s Office said Monday.
Javier Rivera, who was being held without bail at the Chester County Prison, was arrested early Monday at his home in Kennett Square with one of the stolen vehicles parked out front, according to the police criminal complaint.
On Sunday night, Rivera attempted to steal a white BMW SUV from the driveway of a home on Crestline Drive in Kennett Square, the complaint said, when one of the owners, Charles Maston, came outside and confronted him.
Rivera is accused of fatally stabbing Maston and then fleeing the scene.
An officer who was responding to the crime scene found an abandoned red Chevrolet SUV registered to Rivera on the 400 block of North Union Drive, the complaint said.
A woman on North Union Street said a man matching Rivera’s description tried to get into her maroon SUV and then walked away.
In the area of North Union Street and Route 1, Pennsylvania State Police responded to a report of a stolen gray Honda Accord. The owner said she was struck by a burgundy Honda Accord, which police learned had been stolen minutes earlier from North Union Street.
Rivera then stole the woman’s car, the complaint said.
Police then responded to a report of a burglary on South New Street in West Chester and were told that a man matching Rivera’s description tried to force his way into a home and made a stabbing motion with his hand, the complaint said. One of the occupants screamed and the man ran away.
A security video showed a gray Honda Accord parked near the home during the incident, the complaint said.
Police found Rivera at his home wearing the same clothing reported by witnesses, according to the complaint. His shoes and shirt were allegedly stained with dried blood and he had a laceration on his right palm.
“This quiet community was shattered by senseless violence. Thankfully Chester County law enforcement was able to work together to identify and capture this Defendant quickly before he could hurt others.” Chester County District Attorney Christopher de Barrena-Sarobe said in a statement.