DOWNEY, CALIFORNIA: Bryant Rivera, a 30-year-old man from California, was arrested by Mexican authorities on July 6 for murdering three women working at a Tijuana strip club. Baja California Attorney General Ivan Carpio Sanchez said Rivera committed an act of femicide and killed three women in the process. While he is accused of all three deaths, Rivera's arrest was made in connection to the January 2022 killing of 20-year-old dancer Angela Carolina Acosta Flores.
In the wake of the arrest, AG Sanchez said that Rivera was showing “violent and psychopathic behavior.” Sanchez also compared Rivera and his brutal criminal action to notorious serial killer Ted Bundy, who confessed to 30 murders committed in seven states between 1974 and 1978. Rivera was reportedly charged with femicide and is likely to be extradited to Mexico, as per an unsealed federal criminal complaint, KTLA reported.
What is known about Bryant Rivera?
Rivera is a 30-year-old man from Downey, California, who was recently arrested and charged with one count of femicide for the murder of dancer Flores in January 2022. He has also been accused of killing at least two other women, including 25-year-old Elizabeth Martinez Cigarroa. Reports suggest that Rivera, who went by "Eduardo" at the time, allegedly met his victims at the Hong Kong Gentlemen's Club, a popular strip club in Tijuana, before brutally taking their lives.
One of Rivera's victims, Flores, 20, reportedly worked as a stripper and was murdered in a room at Hotel Cascadas on January 24, 2022. Before meeting her tragic end, Flores texted her mother and said she would be accompanying a client to a room at Hotel Cascadas for 30 minutes. As per legal complaint, security footage showed Flores entering the room with a man.
After Flores failed to return back from work, her boyfriend went to the bar to check in on her. At the time, a colleague confirmed that Flores' client's name was "Bryant Rivera" and mentioned that he was a "gringo," a term used to describe Americans. The colleague also shared that the male client had a "light brown complexion, an acne-scarred face" and that he stood about 5-foot-5 tall and had brown hair, the criminal complaint revealed.
The next morning, Flores' mother and boyfriend went to the hotel's reception area looking for the victim and stayed at the venue until they learnt that a woman was found dead in room 404. An autopsy report later revealed that the body belonged to Flores and stated that she was strangled to death. The day after Flores' murder, Rivera reportedly returned to the US on foot and passed through the San Ysidro port of entry, as per border control records.
Just three weeks after Flores' murder, Rivera killed another dancer, Cigarroa, 25, after meeting her at the same club. The woman reportedly said she was going on a Valentine's Day date with an American before being murdered. Cigarroa's dead body was found at the back of her abandoned truck on February 17, 2022, and reportedly showed obvious signs of violence.
Authorities also said that they believe Rivera is responsible for the death of another dancer, who briefly worked at the same club before her 2021 killing. She was reportedly a regular client of Rivera before being strangled and beaten to death on August 30, 2021. Her body was reportedly found in trash bin days after the murder. Officials have not ruled out the possibility that Rivera may have other victims.
Attorney General Sanchez dubbed Rivera as "violent and psychopathic" and compared him to serial killer Bundy for the nature and pattern of his brutal crimes. Despite committing back-to-back crimes Rivera managed to evade the police for nearly a year while his victims' families grieved the loss of the young lives. An arrest warrant for Rivera’s was first issued in Mexico in November 2022 and he was considered a fugitive before being charged on suspicion of the murder of Flores.
When will Bryant Rivera's sentencing begin?
Rivera was arrested and charged by Mexican authorities and will likely be extradited. While he is facing one count of femicide for Flores' murder, it is not known if he will be facing additional charges for his alleged role in the other killings. "The United States understands that Mexico may add additional charges when it submits the formal request for extradition," a complaint filed by the US attorney’s office on June 29 stated.
The murderer will possibly appear in federal court on Monday, July 10, for a detention hearing, as per KTLA. The detention hearing will reportedly take place in Los Angeles where federal prosecutors will request the judge to keep Rivera behind bars during extradition proceedings, the Daily Mail reported.
