A jury has convicted a man of killing a 6-year-old boy who was trying to save his sister from a sexual assault.
It took Camden County jurors two and a half hours to find Osvaldo “Popeye” Rivera guilty of 11 charges, stemming from an attack in Camden in 2012.
Prosecutors said Rivera came into a family's home and tried to sexually assault 12-year-old Amber Andujar.
Her little brother, Dominick, rushed into the room to try to save her.
That's when Rivera slit both children's throats with a kitchen knife.
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Dominick was killed. His sister was critically injured, but she survived.
The boy's heroism received national attention. Neighbors held a vigil in his honor, and community members raised money for his funeral.
After the verdict, his mother said justice was served.
“This man will pay for what he did to two kids. He took my son,” Debbie Burgos said. “I will never be happy, but I’m relieved that this man is finally going to pay for what he did to my son and my daughter.”
Amber Andujar testified during the trial. She is now 13, and her neck is deeply scarred from the attack.
Rivera could face life in prison when he’s sentenced October 23.
