by | Published
Javier Esteban Rivera, 32, of Kyle, has been sentenced to 40 years in prison after being found guilty of multiple charges related to domestic violence and violating a protective order against the same victim.
A Hays County jury found Rivera guilty of two counts of assault family violence – repeat offender and one count of violation of a protective order – two or more times in 12 months. After the jury's decision, Rivera entered into a plea bargain, agreeing to waive his right to appeal and accept the 40-year sentence rather than having the jury determine his punishment. Judge Joe Pool of the 428th District Court accepted the agreement and handed down the sentence on Monday.
During the trial, prosecutors presented compelling evidence against Rivera. This included surveillance footage from a parking lot showing Rivera punching the victim in the face and dragging her by her hair. Jurors also heard recordings from jail where Rivera admitted to committing the assault. A 911 call made by the victim's mother during a second assault was also played, where the victim could be heard screaming in the background while, as she testified, Rivera was choking, punching, and kicking her.
Rivera also admitted at the start of the trial that he had past convictions for assault family violence. As part of his plea bargain, he also confessed to having been sent to prison on at least two previous occasions.
Hays County Assistant District Attorneys Jon English and Cassidy Story prosecuted the case.
"It was far past time that Javier Rivera spent a serious number of years in prison," said English. "He’s a dangerous, violent predator who did horrible things to his victims. Because of the courage of those victims in coming forward, today, he is locked up where he can’t hurt anyone else. Justice was served in this case."
Story added, "The defendant spent his life trying to control others, but he couldn’t control the jury that finally held him accountable."
The Kyle Police Department played a crucial role in the investigation, with Detective Daniel Rainwater, Officer Joshua Cantu, and Sergeant Tera Mayfield all testifying for the prosecution. The District Attorney’s trial team also included Assistant District Attorneys Claudia Garcia and Abigail Whitaker, Victim Assistant Coordinators Annalise Brewer-Hall and Sandra Groters, Legal Assistants Avery Slocum and Mercedes Pena, and Hays County District Attorney Investigator Sergeant Rheanne Garcia.
