A 43-year-old Vandalia man has been formally charged in Fayette County Court with six counts, including murder, in connection with the death of a 14-year-old female family member, Kylie Toberman of Vandalia.
Arnold Rivera faces two counts of First Degree Murder, two counts of criminal sexual assault, and two counts surrounding concealment of the death. The murder charges accuse Rivara of strangling the 14-year-old with jumper cables. Both counts carry a sentence of 20 to 60 years upon conviction.
The two criminal sexual assault charges claim Rivera was a family member and a position of trust or supervision.
The concealment of death charges claim that Rivera concealed the death by placing the body in a tote and had moved the juvenile’s body from the place of death to allegedly conceal information.
State Police say on November 14th, Vandalia Police Officers found the body of Toberman inside a residence in the 1100 block of West Gallatin Street in Vandalia and requested assistance from ISP and the Illinois Child Death Investigation Task Force. An extensive investigation identified Rivera as the suspect, and Vandalia Police located Rivera within a few hours and took him into custody. ISP is aware of a post on social media concerning the death of Toberman, and that is part of the ongoing investigation.
During his first court appearance, Rivera had the public defender appointed to represent him. He was ordered to remain in the Fayette County Jail without bond. His next court appearance is set for November 25th at ten am.
