A horrific crime unfolded involving a teenage girl who was tragically raped and murdered, with her step-uncle accused of the brutal act. The young victim, Kylie Toberman, was strangled using jumper cables, and her remains were concealed in a tote bag.
Kylie’s lifeless body was discovered in an RV located on a property in Vandalia, Illinois, where she had been staying. This tragic find followed an intense, hours-long search that began on Friday morning.
The 14-year-old was last seen alive at around 9 PM the previous evening. It wasn’t until over nine hours later that she was officially reported missing.
The search for Kylie was thorough and urgent. Investigators appealed to the public for assistance, particularly for any sightings of her or the distinct red sweater she had been wearing. Sadly, her body was found around 2 PM on Friday.
The discovery of Kylie’s body came after police received a crucial tip during their search efforts, leading them to the RV.
As law enforcement officials arrived at the scene, 43-year-old Arnold Barry Rivera, Kylie’s step-uncle, attempted to evade capture by breaking into nearby homes to hide.
He was arrested after a brief foot chase, and on Monday he was hauled into court to face murder charges.
In charging documents presented in court by authorities, it was alleged that Rivera pounced on the 14-year-old and strangled her with cables in a horrific episode.
Kylie Toberman, 14, was found dead in an RV on the property she was staying in Vandalia, Illinois, after a frantic hours-long search
Kylie’s step-uncle Arnold Barry Rivera, 43, was arrested after her body was found, and charged with first-degree murder and aggravated sexual assault
Kylie’s body was discovered about 2.20pm on Friday, and investigators said she was strangled with jumper cables and her body stashed in a tote bag
Rivera was charged with first-degree murder, aggravated sexual assault, and concealing a homicide, according to jail records.
According to investigators, Rivera tried to hide the body inside a bag stuffed in the RV.
The suspect has a history of sex allegations and was charged with sexual abuse of a minor, but the case was dismissed five months later, police said.
Kylie’s mother Megan Zeller begged for help finding her daughter while she was still missing, then announced she was ‘no longer with us’.
‘I was young and dumb… I thought I could trust somebody and now my baby is an Angel,’ she wrote online.
‘I will not shut up or stop until my child gets justice! I will not stop until my other girls are home.’
Zeller did not have custody of the teen or her two younger daughters and Kylie’s father was dead from a drug overdose, police said.
They were instead staying with the grandmother of one of Kylie’s sisters.
The alleged murder came as the grandmother was hospitalized, and she left Toberman with her son Rivera, before he allegedly attacked.
Kylie was said to have excelled and school and been involved in sports despite having a troubled upbringing
Kylie was on the wrestling team of her school beforer she was killed
Rivera has a history of sex allegations and was charged with sexual abuse of a minor in but the case was dismissed five months later
Locals said Rivera’s house was filled with dogs and their feces so the girls stayed in an RV behind it.
Kylie was said to have excelled and school and been involved in sports despite having a troubled upbringing.
‘It is with a heavy heart that we share the news that we lost one of our wrestlers, Kylie Toberman, yesterday,’ the Vandal Wrestling Takedown Club wrote on Facebook.
‘Our team and community are grieving the loss of such a sweet and bright young girl.’
Vandalia Junior High School Superintendent Jennifer Garrison said students would be provided with counseling.
Rivera was booked into the county jail at 8pm on Friday and will face court again on November 25. The Illinois State Police is continuing to investigate.
