Jacksonville, FL — The Jacksonville man accused of stabbing his two adult children and then setting their home on fire, has now been arrested for arson and two counts of aggravated battery.
The arrest report we’ve now obtained in connection to the incident early Monday in the Lakeshore area says 56-year-old Carlos Rivera Sr. used a butcher knife in the attack, leaving his 29-year-old son with multiple stab wounds and his 31-year-old daughter with severe lacerations on her arms and legs. The injuries are not considered life threatening. We’re told three young children were also in the Shirley Ave home, but were able to safely escape.
The female victim in this case told police that she and her children were asleep in the home, when she woke up to the smell of gasoline. She says she started opening windows to vent the room, and when she opened the bedroom door, Rivera Sr. was there, and he started attacking her with the butcher knife. The male victim told JSO he also woke up to the smell of gasoline and heard his sister screaming, and when he walked in to her bedroom to investigate, Rivera Sr. started attacking him.
The arrest report says Rivera Sr.’s daughter told investigators that he had asked them to move in recently, because of his declining health. She says things turned “very volatile”, though, after Rivera Sr. was arrested for domestic battery on his son last month.
Court records show the family was supposed to appear in court today on an injunction connected to that arrest. Rivera Sr. was arrested last month for allegedly shoving his son and hitting him, because he was mad about money and a cell phone. Court records show Rivera Sr. pleaded no contest to that charge at the start of this month, and his adjudication of guilt was withheld, pending his twelve-month probation.
Just last week, court records show Rivera Sr. filed to evict his son and daughter from the home, saying they hadn’t paid utilities for three months, totaling $1,050. While the court case was opened on May 9th, the eviction notice was delivered May 3rd, according to the filings. The notice he gave his children gave them until May 6th to resolve the payment.
The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office says Rivera Sr. turned himself in after the incident. He’s now been arrested for arson and aggravated battery.
