Terry Rivera, suspect wanted in 12-year-old's shooting death, arrives in Harris County
HOUSTON - The suspect wanted in connection with the death of 12-year-old Carlos Fernandez in Harris County has been brought back to Houston after he was apprehended on Tuesday.
According to Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez, Terry Bryan Rivera was taken into custody at the U.S.-Mexico Border on Monday.
CBP officers referred Rivera for secondary inspection at the Gateway International Bridge on Monday. Utilizing biometric verification and federal databases, they discovered an outstanding felony warrant for capital murder issued by Harris County Sheriff’s Office. Rivera was turned over to Cameron County sheriff’s deputies for further action.
MORE: Suspect charged with Capital Murder for 12-year-old's death
"As Spring Break traffic begins to pick up, our frontline CBP officers continue to maintain strict vigilance and apprehended a man wanted for capital murder," said Acting Port Director Michael Reyes, Brownsville Port of Entry. "These types of apprehensions reinforce and perfectly illustrate the importance of CBP’s commitment to its border security mission."
Terry Rivera was arrested at the U.S.-Mexico border. (Photo: Cameron County Sheriffs Office)
Rivera is charged with capital murder. Rivera is accused of firing into the window of his ex’s Harris County apartment around 3 a.m. March 4, fatally shooting her 12-year-old son, Carlos Fernandez.
According to Sheriff Ed Gonzalez, Rivera was in a previous relationship with Carlos's mother and had two younger children with her.
Authorities initially believed Carlos had been asleep in the same room as his younger sisters when he was shot. However, Sheriff Gonzalez says further investigation revealed that Carlos had been sleeping in the living room and ran into his sisters’ room when he heard the commotion.
"The fact that he went to investigate himself, to go see what was happening, to see what was the commotion, really speaks to his strength, the hero that he was, the young man that he was," Sheriff Gonzalez said. "Again, I could only imagine how much greatness was going to come from Carlos Fernandez as he continued to grow up, and it's a loss for our community."
Rivera's mother, Alva Cornejo, was also arrested over the weekend and charged for allegedly hindering the apprehension of her son.