Mother of teen shooting victim speaks out after second arrest made in son's murder case
Elementary school employee accused of evidence tampering
A food service employee at a Winter Garden elementary school was arrested on campus last week, accused of tampering with evidence in connection to the deadly shooting of a teenager in Osceola County.
ORLANDO, Fla. - For the first time, the mother of a 19-year-old shooting victim is speaking publicly, following a second arrest in her son’s murder case — this time, an elementary school cafeteria worker.
‘My son was just really stepping into becoming a man’
What we know:
Monique Meza spoke with FOX 35's Hannah Mackenzie weeks after her son, 19-year-old Neiko Herrera, was killed last month. Meza spoke publicly just a few days after a second arrest related to her son's death.
Jessica Rivera, 48, a food service employee at Whispering Oak Elementary School in Winter Garden, was arrested on campus last Thursday.
Jessica Rivera was taken into custody Thursday in the parking lot of Whispering Oak Elementary School.
Rivera is accused of tampering with evidence in connection to the April 11 shooting. Deputies say she interfered with the investigation both prior to and during her arrest.
Nico Herrera (L) was fatally shot on April 11 at the Sandalwood Mobile Home Park in St. Cloud. Osceola County Sheriff Marcos Lopez said Herrera and four other teenagers were driving past a planned meeting spot when 42-year-old Orvill Osorio-Ortiz all
The case stems from a deadly shooting at the Sandalwood Mobile Home Park in St. Cloud, where 42-year-old Orvill Osorio Ortiz allegedly ambushed a group of teenagers following a text message argument over a girl.
Herrera was killed in the attack. Osorio Ortiz, who authorities say was in a relationship with Rivera, was arrested last week in Pasco County and is now jailed on charges including premeditated murder and probation violation.
What we don't know:
Authorities have not disclosed what specific evidence Rivera is accused of tampering with or the nature of her interference during the arrest. It's also unclear what her exact role was in the aftermath of the shooting or how investigators tied her to the case.
What they're saying:
The mother of Neiko Herrera, Monique Meza, spoke with FOX 35's Hannah Mackenzie. She said losing a child is every mom's worst nightmare.
"My son was just really stepping into becoming a man," Meza said. "I don’t think there will ever be a normal again for me. There’ll just be a new way of living."
Authorities arrested Jessica Rivera, 48, a food services worker at Whispering Oak Elementary School, on campus Friday. Rivera is accused of tampering with evidence in connection to the homicide investigation involving her boyfriend, 42-year-old Orville Osorio Ortiz.
Meza said she wasn’t surprised by another arrest in the case — but she was stunned to learn Rivera worked at an elementary school.
"How can a person that works with children — you would think someone caring, someone safe — do something so evil?" Meza said. "It just doesn’t make sense to me."
Meza offered a message to other parents.
"Give your kids a little extra love and an extra hug today," Meza added. "Because you just don’t know when that last hug will be."
What's next:
Rivera and Ortiz are being held without bond at the Osceola County Jail. Orange County Public Schools confirmed Rivera would not be returning to the school but declined to comment further, citing employee privacy policies.
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The Source: This story was written based on information shared by the Osceola County Sheriff's Office, the Orange County Public Schools, and Monique Meza, mother of 19-year-old Neiko Herrera.