Judge considering including evidence from 2016 and 2018 in upcoming Nicole Montalvo jury trial
Judge considering including evidence from 2016 and 2018 in upcoming Nicole Montalvo jury trial
The state is requesting the judge include evidence from a 2016 battery charge and a 2018 kidnapping and robbery, in the upcoming jury trial.
Updated: 6:19 PM EDT Jun 17, 2020
Megan Mellado
Reporter
OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. —
Christopher Otero-Rivera and his father Angel Rivera, who are facing murder charges in the death of Nicole Montalvo, were back in court for a hearing Wednesday.
The hearing was regarding a motion filed by the state, requesting the judge include evidence from a 2016 battery charge and a 2018 kidnapping and robbery, in an upcoming jury trial.
Montalvo was reported missing in late 2019. Her remains were found on property owned by the Riveras.
Within an hour or so into the hearing, the judge announced he was going to hold off on a decision. He then proceeded to hear from several witnesses regarding the two incidents, including Nicole Montalvo’s mom, Elaine, who recalled what happened in June 2016.
“The house phone rang and I answered and it was a girl and she asked if I was Nicole’s mother. I said yes and she said ‘you need to come pick Nicole up, I’m going to put her on the phone, Chris beat her up’,” Elaine Montalvo said.
She then goes into detail about what happened in October 2018.
“She told me that Chris... jumped her... took her, kidnapped her, and took her up to Poinciana and tried to kill her,” she said.
Other witnesses who spoke on the prior incidents included Nicole Montalvo’s sister, Christina, a detective, deputies who responded to the incidents, as well as a woman named Ashley Ferrell who took Nicole Montalvo on as a client at Help Now of Osceola. Help Now is a domestic abuse shelter that has an outreach program for victims.
“She was paralyzed with fear,” Ferrell said.
An inmate who met Otero-Rivera in jail and agreed to help him discredit Nicole Montalvo, to help win a custody battle, also took the stand.
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Due to the virus, the jury trial could be postponed again.
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