After 3 Years, Officers Make Arrest In Fatal Shooting Of 21-Year-Old
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MIAMI (CBSMiami) – Police have arrested a man for the murder of a 21-year-old who was found shot dead near the Everglades three years ago.
Christopher Luis Rivero, 23, was arrested Tuesday after voluntarily responding to speak to investigators, according to the Miami-Dade Police Department.
Rivero is charged with second degree murder with a deadly weapon in the murder of 21-year-old Adrian Lopez.
Lopez, who lived near Zoo Miami in Southwest Miami-Dade, was found dead January 5, 2012 at SW 280th Street and 207th Avenue. Lopez had been reported missing two days earlier.
His body was found inside his Chevy Silverado on the side of the road.
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According to police, investigators followed leads, including cell phone records, which lead to Rivero's arrest.
Rivero, according to the arrest report, was arrested January 3, 2012, within hours of Lopez's disappearance, behind a Winn-Dixie located at 18300 SW 137th Avenue. He was arrested for possession of marijuana and issued a promise to appear summons. At the time he was arrested it was noted that Lopez had his cell phone.
Video surveillance later collected by authorities from Winn Dixie showed Rivero, according to police, grabbing a black duffle bag and removing it from a dumpster.
At the time of the crime, Rivero had a red Dodge Charger, which a witness had seen parked alongside Lopez's Chevy where he was found dead, according to the arrest report.
CLICK HERE to watch Natalia Zea's report
Rivero reportedly allowed police to search his car. The officer found a duffle bag in the car with a bloody shirt on top of it, which Rivero said was from a cut, but the arresting officer said the cut did not to appear fresh and the blood on the shirt did.
Rivero was eventually released.
While processing the victim's vehicle in 2012, a single fingerprint was located on a window. The fingerprint was later identified as Rivero's, according to the report.
Rivero, on Tuesday, went to the homicide bureau for questioning.
During questioning, Rivero admitted to being the only person to have his cell phone which, according to the report, "travelled the path from where the victim was last seen to where he was eventually dumped."
Rivero reportedly told police that he hadn't seen the victim that day, but that he had purchased narcotics from him in the past.
Rivero is charged with second degree murder with a deadly weapon.