On the evening of Christmas Eve, December 24, 2022, a sense of tragedy befell a Warner Robins, Georgia community. Avelino Rivera, a 45-year-old Hispanic male, was found deceased inside a residence on Red Fox Run. The Houston County Sheriff's Office responded to a call around 11:30 p.m. regarding an unresponsive person who had been shot. Upon their arrival at the Red Fox Run Trailer Park, deputies made a grim discovery.
Inside the home, authorities found not one, but two victims.
Avelino Rivera and his friend, 34-year-old Miguel Angel Ochoa Montes, were both found with fatal gunshot wounds. Both men were residents of the same trailer park. The deaths of Rivera and Montes were quickly ruled homicides, and their bodies were transported to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation Crime Lab for autopsies, which later confirmed that they both died as a result of their injuries.
The Houston County Sheriff's Office launched an active and ongoing homicide investigation into the double slaying. Investigators at the scene discovered an undisclosed amount of drugs, leading them to consider the possibility that the murders may have been the result of a drug transaction that turned violent. While authorities have acknowledged that gang involvement is a possibility given the circumstances, there have been no definitive red flags to confirm this theory. Investigators believe a handgun was the weapon used in the commission of the crime, though it has not yet been recovered. Other firearms were located within the residence, but they are not believed to be connected to the homicides.
As the investigation continues, no suspects have been publicly identified, and no arrests have been made in connection with the deaths of Avelino Rivera and Miguel Angel Ochoa Montes. The Houston County Sheriff's Office has appealed to the public for assistance, urging anyone with information regarding the case to come forward and contact the Criminal Investigations Division at 542-2085. The community awaits answers as law enforcement works to piece together the events that led to the tragic Christmas Eve shooting.
