Missing 13 year old Vandalia, Illinois teen girl found dead, as relative is arrested on sex assault and murder charges.
The step uncle of a 13 year old teen girl reported missing on Friday has been arrested and charged with her murder after the teen’s body was found later that afternoon according to Illinois authorities.
Kylie Toberman, 13, of Vandalia, Illinois was reported missing on Friday at around 6:30 a.m. Her body was located later that same day behind her house in an RV, KSDK reported.
Autopsy report reveals step-uncle strangled Vandalia teen girl (& only served 30 months probation for child sex assault)
Murder suspect had previous child sex convictions
Fayette County authorities announced a ‘person of interest’ since identified as the victim’s step uncle, Arnold B. Rivera, 43, being taken into custody on November 14.
While authorities declined to officially identify the suspect a post shared by the Washington County Illinois Emergency Agency stated in part; ‘The Vandalia Police Department are now also actively searching for Arnold B. Rivera Jr. M/W DOB: 02/12/1982. Rivera was last seen wearing a grey work shirt with blue jeans. If you locate Rivera please do not approach Rivera but call 911 immediately.’
According to sources, Arnold Rivera, has a criminal history involving sex crimes against minors, yet Kylie and her two younger sisters were temporarily living with him. Toberman’s mother was at the time allegedly in prison while her father died from a drug overdose, leading to the grandmother of one of her younger sisters taking all three of the girls in.
The grandmother allegedly needed surgery, followed by an extended recovery time, and while that was happening, she left all three girls in the care of her son, Rivera according to a post shared by Tabitha Hassell who knew the family.
Rivera was arrested the day Kylie was found after allegedly confessing to sexually assaulting and murdering her. The relative has been charged with aggravated criminal sexual assault, first degree murder, and concealing a homicidal death according to the Fayette County Sheriff’s Office.
The cause of death was pending the results of autopsy results.
Betrayed by those who were suppose to protect her
A previous release from the Vandalia Police Department stated authorities seeking to locate the missing girl who was last seen on Thursday, around 9p.m. She was described as as being 5ft’8, and approximately 125 pounds and last seen wearing a red sweatshirt and black leggings.
Stated the slain girl’s mother, Megan Zeller on Facebook, ‘This is my Beautiful daughter Kylie. Kylie went missing last night. She was found today is no longer with us. #JusticeForKylie.’
Not immediately clear is how or why the grandmother chose to leave the suspect, who has a history of sexual assaults against young girls being the defacto caretaker of the young girls.
An ongoing investigation is now being led by the Illinois State Police.
Anyone with information on the case is asked to reach out to the Vandalia Police Department at 618-283-0556 or call 911.
