Andrea Rivera, pictured here during a November 2017 court appearance, fled the scene of a Saturday morning incident in White Rock and is being sought by Los Alamos Police Department. Photo by Maire O’Neill/losalamosreporter.com
BY MAIRE O’NEILL
Los Alamos Police officers have been trying to make contact with Andrea Rivera since an incident in White Rock Saturday where she got into an altercation with her sister, April Rivera, but had disappeared prior to LAPD arriving on the scene.
Rivera was released Friday from the Los Alamos Detention Center after she was granted a conditional discharge by First Judicial District Judge Jason Lidyard Wednesday under the terms of a plea agreement. Her release order required her to report to Adult Probation and Parole officials prior to 3 p.m. Friday and she was given a 7 p.m. to 8 a.m. curfew.
As part of the plea agreement Rivera pleaded guilty to two counts of aggravated battery with a kitchen knife. The charges stem from a Nov. 3 incident at an apartment on Canyon Road in which Rivera stabbed Cory Kerschner several times in the chest area several times and caused a large laceration to his stomach. She also cut the thumb of another sister, Sara Cooper with a kitchen knife.
The Los Alamos Reporter published details of the Court hearing in an earlier story – Andrea Rivera Granted Conditional Discharge In November Stabbings Case Under Plea Agreement
April Rivera told the Los Alamos Reporter Sunday afternoon that she drove Andrea Rivera to the Adult Probation and Parole Office in Espanola following her release and was shocked that APP officials allowed Andrea to leave their office without a GPS electronic monitoring bracelet, allegedly telling her to come back before Oct. 15.
She said Andrea Rivera took the bus to White Rock Saturday and showed up at her home. She said they argued and Andrea Rivera struck her several times and when Andrea realized April was calling LAPD, she fled the scene. April Rivera said all Andrea’s medications are still there and she is worried about Andrea’s frame of mind.
“Our family has spent a decade trying to get Andrea help through the judicial system for her mental health problems. The Magistrate Court and the Municipal Court just keep letting her out over and over again. The last time she was let out early by the Municipal Court and Cory (Kerschner) is lucky to be alive,” April Rivera said. “We were promised by the District Attorney’s Office that she would be carefully and strictly monitored this time and that she would not be able to come near our homes.”
April Rivera said Andrea was found competent after a 45-minute interview with a psychiatrist and that that evaluation gave “an inaccurate picture” of Andrea.
“When she was at the Los Alamos Detention Center she did very well because she was taking her medications regularly and she had a routine to follow,” April Rivera said.
She said Andrea is trapped inside her head and has been diagnosed with multiple mental health issues including paranoid schizophrenia, psychosis and manic depression. She said Andrea is supposed to be on multiple prescription medications.
“Andrea is unstable and needs help. She has no phone, no monitoring bracelet and she knows she is going to jail. She could hear the wrong voice and things could get really dangerous for whoever she is around”, April said. “Consider this a cry for help from our family. We are afraid she is going to hurt someone else or herself. I can’t imagine burying my sister.”
Christina Kerschner, Cory Kerschner’s aunt said early Sunday evening that her family is appalled that Rivera was released without electronic monitoring.
“We were promised that she would be monitored and it never happened,” she said. “I hope they locate her before she hurts someone.”
April Rivera said Andrea was last seen at the Totavi Gas Station seeking a ride and that she could still be in the area or may be trying to get to Denver, Colo. where her son libes and she has some friends.
Anyone with any information about Rivera’s whereabouts should call Los Alamos Police Department Dispath, 505.662.8222.