BEDFORD HEIGHTS, OH — According to Cleveland 19 News, wo men have been indicted for the fatal shooting of 19-year-old Johndiel Rivera, a young father who was working to support his family, on I-480 in Bedford Heights. The Cuyahoga County grand jury charged 21-year-old Michael Alvarado and 30-year-old Michael Roman with the killing of Rivera on February 1.
According to prosecutors, Rivera was driving home from work around 3:50 a.m. when a vehicle carrying the suspects approached near the Aurora Road exit. Shots were fired at Rivera’s car, causing him to crash into the concrete median. The suspects reportedly returned to the scene and fired additional rounds before fleeing.
Hours later, Bedford Heights police responded to a call about an abandoned vehicle on the highway. Officers discovered Rivera inside with multiple gunshot wounds and pronounced him dead at the scene.
Investigators determined that Alvarado and Rivera had worked together. On the night of the shooting, Roman picked up Alvarado, and the two waited for Rivera to leave work before following his vehicle. After the incident, Alvarado was absent from work for the next two days.
Authorities arrested Alvarado on February 26, while Roman was apprehended by the U.S. Marshals’ Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force.
The case highlights the role of surveillance footage in aiding the investigation, as the crime was caught on camera. Both suspects are now facing prosecution for their involvement in Rivera’s tragic death.
