PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — A Kennett Square man has been charged with the murder of a 69-year-old man after a car theft attempt gone wrong.
It all started Sunday evening, when the Chester County District Attorney’s Office said 33-year-old Javier Rivera tried to steal a BMW from the driveway of the man's Kennett Township home.
The man then confronted Rivera and chased him up the driveway. Officials say Rivera then stabbed the man in the torso and neck, killing him.
Rivera ran away and then stole a series of cars. At one point, officials say Rivera crashed into a gray Honda Accord. When the driver got out to exchange information, officials say Rivera seized the opportunity to steal that car.
Rivera allegedly drove a car he had stolen to West Chester, where he broke into a home on New Street before being confronted by two residents.
Police finally caught up with Rivera when he returned to his home in a stolen Honda CR-V. Officials say he had a cut on his right hand and a “reddish-brown” substance consistent with dried blood on his shirt and shoes.
Rivera was arrested early Monday morning. He's been charged with first-degree murder and related offenses, and is being held without bail in Chester County Prison.