Background: News footage of the YMCA location in San Antonio, Texas, where a man was allegedly attacked on Feb. 19 (KENS). Insets (left to right): Abel Ali Rivas and Melanie Sierra Gomez (Bexar County Sheriff”s Office).
A man from Texas is facing charges for allegedly stabbing another man, reportedly acting under the orders of the victim’s former partner.
Abel Ali Rivas, aged 27, is charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon for his involvement in the attack on 32-year-old Oscar Javier Barbosa. This arrest follows the earlier arrest of 31-year-old Melanie Sierra Gomez, who also faces charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Her arrest occurred just days after the incident on February 19 involving Barbosa.
As detailed in an affidavit obtained by KENS, a local CBS affiliate, Barbosa and Gomez share two children but are no longer in a relationship. Barbosa was at a YMCA in San Antonio to pick up their children when Rivas purportedly attacked him.
The San Antonio Express-News revealed that Rivas had previously dated Gomez. The affidavit, accessed by both news outlets, claims that Gomez allegedly enticed Barbosa to exit the YMCA during a scheduled custody exchange on the night of February 19. According to Barbosa, he was in contact with Gomez via phone that evening. Upon arriving at the YMCA around 6:30 p.m., Gomez allegedly instructed him to first go inside to get the children, then asked him to step back outside.
During these events, Barbosa reportedly made a call to his current girlfriend.
Authorities reported that as Barbosa exited the YMCA, Rivas was waiting and greeted him with, “What’s up?” Shortly after, Gomez arrived, and both she and Rivas began a verbal confrontation with Barbosa, who was still on the phone with his girlfriend. Investigators interviewed the girlfriend, who recounted hearing Barbosa question, “Are you going to stab me over this?” before their call abruptly ended.
The girlfriend told police that she recognized Rivas’ voice because she previously had a 10-year relationship with him.
According to the affidavit, Gomez accused Barbosa of getting his new girlfriend pregnant, then allegedly told Rivas to “go… do what you are going to do.” Rivas then allegedly stabbed Barbosa several times in the abdomen and arms, causing serious but not life-threatening injuries. At the same time, police said, Gomez pinned Barbosa against a car so he could not escape.
Police said that after the alleged attack, Rivas fled in Barbosa’s car, which had been running since he pulled into the parking lot to get his children. Gomez reportedly stayed for a few moments, getting in a few more insults about Barbosa’s current girlfriend before leaving the scene herself.
Barbosa was brought to a hospital and treated for serious injuries. He was able to identify Gomez and Rivas as his alleged attackers.
Gomez was arrested a few days after the alleged attack and was released from the Bexar County Jail after posting $85,000 bond. Rivas remains in custody at the Bexar County Jail where he is being held on a total of $105,000 bond, $100,000 for the aggravated assault charge and $5,000 for a charge of possession of a controlled substance.
