IL - 14-year old girl sexually assaulted and strangled - VANDALIA, Nov 2025

[Clearsky]

Mother of slain Vandalia Jr. High student: 'She didn't deserve this'

Kylie Toberman was a 14-year-old student at Vandalia Jr. High School. Her mother said she was brilliant and sassy with a love for animals and her sisters.

www.ksdk.com

VANDALIA, Ill. — By all accounts and appearances, 14-year-old Kylie Toberman’s life was looking up.

It was an RV where Zeller says 43-year-old Arnold Rivera Jr. lived. Rivera is a relative of Kylie’s. Charging documents said he was a caretaker for the girl. He was taken into custody and on Sunday he was charged with first-degree murder, aggravated criminal sexual assault and concealing a homicidal death.

 

[Gemmie]

Ugh.

From your link:

he sexually assaulted her and strangled her with jumper cables.

he then put her body in a tote to try to hide the crime.

Rivera has a lengthy criminal past, including charges in 2000 for burglary and criminal sexual abuse of a child between the ages of 9 and 16.
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Why would someone with his criminal sexual abuse history be her caretaker???????? Poor child.

 

[tlcya]

was just coming to see if Kylie had a thread yet. This is blowing up on my FB feed. Vandalia is abut an hour and half down the road from me.

 

[Stunned]

How was he her caretaker?

 

[Bigditch]

How was he her caretaker?

My question also. Repeat offender???????

 

[Caylee Advocate]

https://fox2now.com/news/illinois/man-charged-in-murder-of-14-year-old-vandalia-girl/

 

[tlcya]

He's got everything from traffic infractions to evections, to OPs in Fayette county. I am not finding the case which earned him SO status yet. May have been in another county. His current case regarding Kylie's murder is 2025CF222 RIVERA, ARNOLD B

Judici Captcha Page

of note, a female who shares the victim's last name was the subject of an OP filing in 2019 (case no. 2019OP16) The docket describes that female as the respondent in the OP application. Petitioner (the accused) states the respondent is his mother. She was never served and he dropped it. This is the long way round to get me to my point, which is I suspect Kylie was ABR;s niece.

he was NOT Kylie's caretaker IMO, at least not at the time she was killed, although he may have been in the past. She had recently been adopted and was living with her new family when this happened. but Vandalia is a small burg. Population of about 7,500. So everybody know everybody and you trip over all your relations no matter where you are in town (MOO)

 

[Stunned]

So if he was her Uncle maybe he fostered her at one time?

 

[GraceG]

An update on the adoption (at least the one by the grandmother). Questions arise over Vandalia teen's care prior to tragic death

 

[tlcya]

He's got everything from traffic infractions to evections, to OPs in Fayette county. I am not finding the case which earned him SO status yet. May have been in another county. His current case regarding Kylie's murder is 2025CF222 RIVERA, ARNOLD B

Judici Captcha Page

of note, a female who shares the victim's last name was the subject of an OP filing in 2019 (case no. 2019OP16) The docket describes that female as the respondent in the OP application. Petitioner (the accused) states the respondent is his mother. She was never served and he dropped it. This is the long way round to get me to my point, which is I suspect Kylie was ABR;s niece.

he was NOT Kylie's caretaker IMO, at least not at the time she was killed, although he may have been in the past. She had recently been adopted and was living with her new family when this happened. but Vandalia is a small burg. Population of about 7,500. So everybody know everybody and you trip over all your relations no matter where you are in town (MOO)

quoting myself here because the record of OP I referenced above is now discussed in the MSM
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According to a DCFS spokesperson, Kylie Toberman was once part of the DCFS system until 2018, when she was legally adopted by her grandmother, Donna Toberman.

Court records show that Arnold Rivera Jr., who is charged in Kylie Toberman’s death, tried to file a protective order against his mother, Donna Toberman, in 2019 after she threatened to call DCFS.
Questions arise over Vandalia teen's care prior to tragic death

So grandma Donna adopted Kylie, but her son, Arnold for some reason had Kylie in his care? Sounds like Donna was threatening to call DFCS about something relating to Arnold (bet I can guess what) so his response was to take out an OP against Donna.

What was Donna threatening to call DCFS about? First two guesses don't count and how exactly did Arnie think an OP was going to prevent that??

 

[GraceG]

He's got everything from traffic infractions to evections, to OPs in Fayette county. I am not finding the case which earned him SO status yet. May have been in another county. His current case regarding Kylie's murder is 2025CF222 RIVERA, ARNOLD B

Judici Captcha Page

of note, a female who shares the victim's last name was the subject of an OP filing in 2019 (case no. 2019OP16) The docket describes that female as the respondent in the OP application. Petitioner (the accused) states the respondent is his mother. She was never served and he dropped it. This is the long way round to get me to my point, which is I suspect Kylie was ABR;s niece.

he was NOT Kylie's caretaker IMO, at least not at the time she was killed, although he may have been in the past. She had recently been adopted and was living with her new family when this happened. but Vandalia is a small burg. Population of about 7,500. So everybody know everybody and you trip over all your relations no matter where you are in town (MOO)

The sex abuse charges for the child 9-16 years old prior to this murder were dismissed in a plea bargain where he pled guilty to felony battery and was give 30 months probation. So he may not technically BE a registered sex offender as the charges were dismissed. Repeat offender allegedly kills 14-year-old girl, has criminal history dating back to 2000: officials

 

[tlcya]

Rivera who was listed in documents as Kylie's "caretaker" has a lengthy criminal history, including a previous case alleging sexual abuse of a child between the ages of nine and sixteen.

Those charges were later dropped in Macon County in 2001.
Illinois DCFS on Kylie Toberman's death, pledges full cooperation

Rivera’s next court date is scheduled for Nov. 25.
Vandalia community mourns the tragic loss of 14-year-old Kylie Toberman

 

[lightofmine99]

If Kylie was legally adopted by her grandmother why was she threatening to call CPS on a completely different person over Kylie? This makes zero sense.

 

[SMK777]

If Kylie was legally adopted by her grandmother why was she threatening to call CPS on a completely different person over Kylie? This makes zero sense.

Yes; I am very confused about the whole history.

 

[SMK777]

Girl, 14, Was Sexually Assaulted in Car, Then Killed with Jumper Cables, Prosecutors Say — and Suspect Has Long Criminal History​

Girl, 14, Was Sexually Assaulted in Car, Then Killed with Jumper Cables — and Suspect Has Long Criminal History

An Illinois man with a long criminal history was arrested after authorities alleged he sexually assaulted and killed a teenage girl.

people.com