In the late afternoon of January 25, 2022, a burst of violence on a New Rochelle street abruptly ended the life of 16-year-old Julian Oliveros. As Oliveros was walking down Fourth Street at approximately 3:38 p.m., he was shot four times, with bullets striking his lower back, knee, neck, and shoulder. The brazen daylight attack was captured on surveillance video.
Emergency services rushed the young man to Westchester Medical Center in Valhalla, but his injuries proved to be fatal, and he was pronounced dead later that day.
The New Rochelle Police Department acted swiftly, apprehending a suspect shortly after the shooting near Glen Place and Beechwood Avenue. The individual taken into custody was Tommy Rivera, a 16-year-old resident of New Rochelle. At the time of his arrest, Rivera was found to be in possession of a 9mm semi-automatic handgun. Further investigation revealed that the weapon was a 'ghost gun,' an untraceable firearm without a serial number, and authorities later discovered tools used to assemble such weapons in Rivera's home.
The legal process moved forward, and Tommy Rivera was indicted by a Westchester County grand jury for second-degree murder and two counts of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon. He was prosecuted as an adolescent offender. In March 2023, Rivera pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of manslaughter in the first degree. Subsequently, he was sentenced to 19 years of incarceration for the shooting death of Julian Oliveros. In addition to his prison term, he will be subject to five years of post-release supervision.
