Texas: Another Courtroom Brawl Explodes After Murdered Teen's Family Beats Up Suspect
Yet another courtroom brawl has happened in Texas after the family of a murdered teen rushed the suspect to beat him up. The incident happened in San Antonio just a few days after another courtroom brawl happened in Houston just a few days earlier, with that one happening after the suspect pleaded guilty to murdering a teen girl.
According to the San Antonio Express-News, Victor Nathaneal Rivas, 18, was accused of shooting and killing 15-year-old Ethan Soto in May 2022. However, as he was awaiting his court appearance for his own murder trial, he made a gesture toward Soto's grieving relatives in the gallery, and chaos ensued.
After he made the gesture, one of the victim's male relatives jumped the railing and began pummeling Rivas. Three others joined in and beat up the teen murder suspect, with the attack lasting for over 30 seconds.
Soon enough, both sides were separated, and court officers had to clear the gallery. They removed Rivas and other inmates from the courtroom. It was reported that the suspect only suffered minor injuries.
Rivas's defense attorney, Adam La Hood, Spoke with the San Antonio Express-News and revealed that his client "is going to be bruised and swollen." Cameras inside the courtroom managed to capture the brawl.
Victim's Relatives Arrested Over Texas Courtroom Brawl
Soon after both sides were separated, court authorities quickly arrested four people over the brawl, all relatives of the late teen victim, Ethan Soto.
The family members reportedly outnumbered the bailiffs during the attack, though several police officers were able to respond and reinforce them. Soon enough, authorities were able to subdue the attackers and take the suspect, Victor Nathaneal Rivas, away to safety.
The attack happened as other inmates awaiting trial were near where Rivas was attacked. As soon as the brawl ended, they were escorted out of the courtroom.
The Associated Press reported that the four people arrested comprised of two men and two teenagers. They were not only charged with disrupting court proceedings but also faced charges of assault for attacking the suspect. The names of these arrested relatives have not yet been released.
Why Did Texas Teen Victor Nathaneal Rivas Kill 15-Year-Old Ethan Soto?
The incident that led to the death of Texas teen Ethan Soto was all because of THC cartridges that Rivas claimed were stolen by the victim.
According to the New York Post, Rivas was so outraged by the robbery that he shot at the Soto family home, but the 15-year-old was not injured in that attack. This led the victim's mother to attempt to calm the situation by trying to meet up with Rivas and pay for the stolen cartridges, but Rivas denied her.
The suspect then elicited the help of an underage girl on Instagram and asked for her to set up a drug deal with Soto. With her help, the younger teen was lured to sell the stolen cartridges. This was when Rivas ambushed Soto and shot him multiple times.
This article is owned by Latin Post.
Written by: Rick Martin
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