JORELYS RIVERA - 7 yo - Canton/ Atlanta GA

http://www.ajc.com/news/cherokee/7-year-old-canton-1249642.html

A 7-year-old Canton girl is missing and police are asking for help finding her.



Jorely Rivera was wearing a pink shirt, blue jeans and black boots when last seen around 5 p.m. at the River Ridge apartment complex in the 100 block of River Ridge Drive in Canton, police said.

Rivera is described as a Hispanic female who is approximately 3 feet tall and 80 pounds, authorities said.

Officers have been searching the area since around 5:30 p.m. and are going door to door. The search area has been expanded, police said.

CHEROKEE COUNTY, Ga. —
Police have been searching for a missing 7-year-old since Friday afternoon.

The
girl, Jorely Rivera, was playing in the playground of her River Ridge
apartment complex on River Ridge Drive in Canton. She was being watched
by a teen who last saw her around 5 p.m., Canton police said. Rivera’s
father lives in Puerto Rico and her mother was out of town.

Around
40 officers with dogs launched a search for Rivera, at one point, going
door to door. Police have been searching for her since 5:30 p.m.

Canton police said Rivera is 3 feet tall and 80 pounds. She was last seen wearing a pink shirt, blue jeans and black boots.

There are two sex offenders living in the apartment complex. Police said they were being checked out.
http://www.wsbtv.com/news/news/local/7-year-old-girl-missing/nFsYb/

Abduction suspected in case of missing 7-year-old Canton girl

Canton police on Saturday said the case of a missing 7-year-old girl is now being investigated as a child abduction.
Enlarge photo

Family photo, Family photo
Jorely Rivera, 7, of Canton has been missing since Friday afternoon.

Jorley Rivera was last seen around 5 p.m. Friday at the River Ridge apartment complex on River Ridge Drive in Canton.
Police spokeswoman Detective Candy Worthy said an abduction appeared more likely as the investigation proceeded.
“We have been slowly pushing in that direction during the day today,”
Worthy said Saturday. “At this time, we are treating the case as a
child abduction for the safety of the child.”

The detective said police have searched most of the perimeters
they’ve established. Probation officers and deputies were also
questioning sex offenders in the area, Worthy said.

“We are also working with the school system and the family to learn more about the child's friends,” Worthy said.

Jorley is described as a Hispanic female who is approximately 3 feet
tall and 80 pounds. She was last seen wearing a pink shirt, blue jeans
and black boots.
http://www.ajc.com/news/cherokee/abduction-suspected-in-case-1249642.html

The search for a missing Canton girl continued Sunday.


Family photo

Jorelys Rivera, 7, of Canton has been missing since Friday afternoon.

Police and other searchers were using the parking lot of Carmike
Cinemas Riverstone as a staging area Sunday, said Detective Candy Worthy.

The disappearance of 7-year-old Jorelys Rivera is being investigated
as a child abduction, police said. The girl was last seen around 5 p.m.
Friday at the River Ridge apartment complex on River Ridge Drive in Canton.

Search crews Sunday were focusing on two nearby apartment complexes and surrounding wooded areas.

"Here we are getting into the 48-hour mark [and] enough's enough --
we've got to get something and that's why we're out here now and we'll
be out here as long as it takes," Jeff Hall with Canton police told Channel 2 Action News.

Probation officers and deputies were also questioning sex offenders in the area, Worthy said.

“We are also working with the school system and the family to learn more about the child's friends,” Worthy said.

Jorelys is described as a Hispanic female who is approximately 3 to 4
feet tall and 80 pounds. She was last seen wearing a pink shirt, blue jeans and black boots.

Anyone with information as to the child’s whereabouts is urged to
call 911 immediately. Tipsters can remain anonymous by calling 770-345-4189.
http://www.ajc.com/news/cherokee/search-continues-for-missing-1249642.html

http://www.ajc.com/news/cherokee/state-child-abduction-team-1249642.html

A team of state law enforcement officials specially trained in child abductions was brought in Monday to join the search for a 7-year-old Canton girl who has been missing since Friday.
Enlarge photo






The 50-member team, made up of GBI agents, Georgia State Patrol troopers, Department of Natural Resources rangers and other state officers, was helping look for Jorelys Rivera, last seen at an apartment complex in Canton.


Police and other searchers were using the parking lot of Carmike Cinemas Riverstone as a staging area Sunday, said Canton police Det. Candy Worthy.

The disappearance of Jorelys is being investigated as a child abduction, police said. The girl was last seen around 5 p.m. Friday at the River Ridge apartment complex on River Ridge Drive in Canton.

Search crews Sunday were focusing on two nearby apartment complexes and surrounding wooded areas.

"Here we are getting into the 48-hour mark [and] enough's enough -- we've got to get something and that's why we're out here now and we'll be out here as long as it takes," Jeff Hall with Canton police told Channel 2 Action News.

Probation officers and deputies were also questioning sex offenders in the area, Worthy said.

“We are also working with the school system and the family to learn more about the child's friends,” Worthy said.

Jorelys is described as a Hispanic female who is approximately 3 to 4 feet tall and 80 pounds. She was last seen wearing a pink shirt, blue jeans and black boots.

Anyone with information as to the child’s whereabouts is urged to call 911 immediately. Tipsters can remain anonymous by calling 770-345-4189.

Body of girl, 7, found in trash

The body of 7-year-old Georgia girl missing since Friday was found in
a trash container at her apartment complex, officials announced Monday.
It
appears Jorelys Rivera of Canton, Ga., was sexually assaulted and
severely beaten, Vernon Keenan, director of the Georgia Bureau of
Investigations, told reporters.
"This is
going to be a very horrendous crime. I'm convinced of that after
observing the body," Keenan said, adding that "we do not have a strong
suspect." He did not elaborate.
The trash container was heavily compacted and had not been searched prior to Monday's discovery, he added.
The
girl's mother, Joselin Rivera, earlier pleaded for her daughter's safe
return. "I want to tell whoever has her or took her not to harm her, to
return her," NBC station 11Alive.com reported. "She's innocent. She's a little angel."
Rivera said she hadn't seen her daughter since leaving for work Thursday night.
"She
gave me a kiss and told me that she loved me a lot," Rivera added,
noting that when she got home Friday morning, her daughter had already
left for school.


http://usnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/12/05/9227681-body-of-girl-7-found-in-trash

OMG

CANTON, Ga. (AP) — A body found in a trash container is believed to
be that of a 7-year-old girl who went missing last week from an
apartment complex playground north of Atlanta, authorities said Monday.
Georgia
Bureau of Investigation spokesman John Bankhead said that "everything
points to it being" Jorelys Rivera of Canton. Bankhead said officials
were awaiting results of an autopsy to confirm the identity and a cause
of death.
Bankhead told The Associated Press the body appeared to
have been severely beaten and sexually assaulted. He said the girl's
mother had been notified.
No suspects were in custody as of Monday night, authorities said.
The
girl's mother returned to the apartment complex early Monday evening.
Crying, the woman entered the family's apartment without speaking to
reporters and a family friend asked for privacy.
The child was
last seen around 5 p.m. Friday at the River Ridge apartments in Canton,
about 40 miles north of Atlanta, Canton police Detective Candy Worthy
said. The girl was at the playground with a teenage baby sitter. The
girl had gone back to her apartment to get sodas for friends when she
disappeared, authorities said.
Authorities brought in a
specialized team of law officers trained to handle child abductions. The
body was located about 1 p.m. Monday.
Canton emergency management
director Jeff Hall said authorities had not searched the trash
container until Monday because it was a large garbage compacting bin
that needed to be moved offsite so they could go through it.
Bankhead,
the GBI spokesman, said investigators believe the girl was killed at
the apartment complex and her body left in the trash bin. Yellow crime
scene tape blocked off the wooded area behind the girl's apartment
building.
Authorities planned to provide an update on the investigation Tuesday morning.
Maria Rodriguez works with Rivera's mother at a nearby poultry plant and used to live in the same complex.
"She
was a very sweet girl," Rodriguez said, crying as she held her
4-year-old daughter. "She was the type of little girl who likes her
presence to be known. It's just so sad."
Rodriguez said Rivera's
mother worked the graveyard shift. Police have since removed two other
young children from the Rivera home over "concern about the supervision
of Jorelys," said Lt. Jay Baker with the Cherokee County Sheriff's
Department.
Maria Faustino, who also used to live in the apartment complex, said she always felt safe there.
"This
place is small and everybody knows everybody," said Faustino, who has a
young son. "You wouldn't have thought something like this would have
happened there."
A schoolmate who lived in a neighboring complex,
8-year-old Ashley Rosalez, said Rivera was very talkative and that she
would play on all the playgrounds in nearby apartment complexes.
Another
neighbor, Nancy Hudgins, who lives next to the trash bin where the body
was found, said the little girl liked to swim at the pool in the
complex with her siblings and loved to pet animals that lived in the
area.
She said the Rivera family was "mostly quiet" and kept to itself.
Officers
were checking with sex offenders in the area, an effort that will
possibly broaden as the investigation continues, Bankhead said.
There are 73 registered sex offenders living in Canton, according to state records online.
Authorities
did not issue a Levi's Call — the state's version of an Amber Alert —
because officers didn't have any information about the girl's abductor,
which is a requirement for issuing such an alert.
Michelle
Mercier, who lives across the street from the complex, brought a bouquet
of yellow, pink and purple flowers to the playground where Jorelys was
last seen. Soon after, neighbors and community members flocked to the
playground Monday to leave flowers and stuffed animals.
"I wanted everybody to know I'm thinking of her, this precious little girl who is no longer with us," Mercier said.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5ipt1Nr6ykWhZTeinwdC5EYjNG7gA?docId=b53adbafdddd4f6f858be06b5b8dfd04

Why did the SOB have to beat her before he murdered her? Did he beat her to death?

Do we know anything about the babysitter?

She was last seen at 5. What time was she reported missing?

twinkletoes wrote:Why did the SOB have to beat her before he murdered her? Did he beat her to death?

---If it's any consolation, We do not know at this point if the beating took place pre or post mortem.
Based on her age it was probably a little of both. She was old enough to realize the nature of the attack and therefore had to be subdued by rendering her unconscious. Later the perp was probably trying to erase his or her crime by destroying the victim.
The perp is a neighbor or a regular visitor, perhaps someone in the same building. Key to the evidence timeline is when the trash was compacted and where the body was in relation to compacted trash. Best guess is that it all happened during the first 8-12 hours.

twinkletoes wrote:Do we know anything about the babysitter?

She was last seen at 5. What time was she reported missing?

---From what I have she was reported missing by the babysitter shortly after the last sighting. Police were on scene and searching within 30 minutes of the 5PM time mark. I surmise that the detectives have already spoken with the perp and just don't know it yet.
It is possible that when they initially went door to door the perp had already subdued her and didn't answer the door, pretending not to be home.

Thanks Tom.

Another sickening evil murder of a child. I am thankful she was found relatively soon.

Having trouble typing. Puter gravely ill.

So sad. I hope they find the murderer right away.

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/body-girl-found-trash-container-ga-15093651

Autopsy results will be released Tuesday after authorities in Georgia found a body in a trash container believed to be that of a missing 7-year-old girl.

Georgia Bureau of Investigation spokesman John Bankhead says a briefing is planned for 10:30 a.m.
Authorities say the body is believed to be that of Jorelys Rivera of Canton, who vanished last week from an apartment complex playground north of Atlanta.

Bankhead has said "everything points to it being" Jorelys. He also said the body appeared to have been severely beaten and sexually assaulted.

No suspects are in custody in the death.

Canton police Detective Candy Worthy says Jorelys was last seen around 5 p.m. Friday at the River Ridge apartments in Canton, about 40 miles north of Atlanta.

A 7-year-old Canton girl whose body was discovered Monday died of blunt
force trauma to the head and stab wounds, the GBI said Tuesday. Jorelys
Rivera had also been sexually assaulted, GBI Director Vernon Keenan said
at a press conference in Canton.
Keenan also said investigators found what they believe to be blood in
a vacant apartment unit, and that substance is being tested at the
State Crime Lab to determine if it is linked to Jorelys. Keenan said
investigators believe Jorelys was killed within two hours of her
disappearance Friday.

As of Tuesday morning, police did not have any suspects or anyone in
custody, Keenan said. But the investigation is now focused on the River
Ridge complex where Jorelys lived and may have been killed.

"We believe the suspect lives or has readily access to the complex," Keenan told the AJC.

There are several registered sex offenders that live in the vicinity
of the apartment complex, and investigators have extensively interviewed
all of them, Keenan said.

"We don't have any reason to believe any of them were involved," he said.

Hours after Jorelys' body was found at the apartment complex where she lived, her Cherokee County
neighbors and friends held a candlelight vigil Monday night in her
honor at the same playground where she was last seen. Her body was found
Monday afternoon in a metal trash bin, the GBI said.

At the River Ridge apartments, neighbors were shocked and saddened
about the fate of the girl, a friendly child often seen playing outside
with other children. The playground where Jorelys often played is across
the street from the apartment where she lived. And Monday night, it was
at the playground where the community mourned the girl.

On the fourth day of the search for Jorelys, a 50-member team made up
of GBI agents, Georgia State Patrol troopers, Department of Natural
Resources rangers and other state officers specially trained in child
abductions was brought in Monday to assist local police and
firefighters. Police said they believed they were working a child
abduction case.

Searchers combed the apartment complex, checking every vehicle and
some apartments for any clues to the girl's whereabouts. The parking lot
of a nearby movie theater served as the command center for search
efforts, which included a state patrol helicopter Monday.

But just hours after state and national search crews began to look
for the girl, the massive effort ended with Keenan's announcement. The
girl's body was found around 12:30 p.m., he said.

Jorelys, who turned 7 on Aug. 20, disappeared around 5 p.m. Friday
while she took a break from playing at the apartment complex on River
Ridge Drive, police said. She reportedly told other children at the
playground that she was going inside to get drinks, but never returned.

The girl's mother was inside while the child played outside, but a
teenager was supposed to have been watching Jorelys, Lt. Jeff Hall with
the Canton police department said Monday. The girl's two younger
siblings were taken from their mother and placed in protective custody
because of a lack of supervision, Det. Candy Worthy with Canton police
said Sunday morning.

Canton police launched a search for the girl late Friday, releasing
pictures and a description of the Canton Elementary School first-grader.
Police officers knocked on doors at the complex and interviewed
registered sex offenders in the area Saturday, Worthy said.

"Everybody came together in the cold, at all hours of the night to
look for her," David Lott, a resident of the complex, told the AJC
Monday night.

The girl's family cooperated with the investigation, police have
said. Her mother, who police have said is not a suspect, was told the
horrific news before Keenan's announcement to reporters.

Maria Rodriguez, a friend and co-worker of the girl's mother, said
news of the girl's death was a devastating blow after having the other
two children removed from the home. Rodriguez said there are always
children and adults at the park.

"There's no way that someone didn't see anything," Rodriguez said.

Rodriguez said she and Joselinne Rivera, the girl's mother, worked
the overnight shift at the Pilgrim's Pride chicken processing plant,
also in Canton. Rodriguez said Monday evening she had not spoken with
the girl's mother since the body was found.

Police had been searching the apartment complex throughout the
weekend, but the trash bin where the body was found was not searched
until Monday due to the amount of items it contained, Keenan said. The
search area was about a 1-mile radius from the complex and included
another nearby complex, police said.

Investigators moved the compacted trash bin across Reinhardt Parkway
and to an open area, where they removed the contents and found the
girl's body. Keenan declined to say the proximity of the trash bin to
the location where Jorelys was last seen. But residents in the complex
pointed out the trash bin, located a short walk from the playground.

Calling it a "very, very horrendous crime," Keenan declined Monday to discuss details regarding how or where the girl died.

Monday afternoon, investigators remained at the apartment complex,
which was the focus of the search from the beginning, Keenan said.

No one was on the playground at the apartment complex Monday
afternoon, but neighbors gathered outside after learning the girl's
fate.

"I'm scared to death to walk into my apartment right now," Mary
Johnston told AM 750 and 95.5 FM News/Talk WSB. "I'm packing my stuff
tonight. I'm moving."

Johnston's 11-year-old son was playing with Jorelys on Friday and she
said she helped search for the girl. Now, she fears for her family's
safety.

Skylar Watkins and her 2-year-old daughter, Cheyann, brought a
bouquet of flowers to the playground, placing it on the ground near the
slide.

"That's the playground I bring her to," Watkins said while holding
the toddler. "Knowing that whoever did it is still on the loose is
really scary."

Daniel McFarland said he was in the complex Friday evening around 7
p.m. visiting his mother. By then, family members and neighbors were
already looking for the girl, he said.

"It's very, very disturbing," McFarland said.

McFarland told police he saw a white Honda running near the
playground Friday evening for about an hour, but no one was inside. He
isn't sure if the vehicle is a clue, but wanted to make sure he informed
police, he said.

Law enforcement officials stressed the need for more information in
the case, asking for anyone with any information to report it to police.
Anyone with information on the case is urged to call 770-721-7852.

"What we need is help from the public," Canton police Chief Jeff Lance said.

A $5,000 reward is being offered by the GBI for information leading
to the arrest and conviction of person responsible for the crime.

A Facebook page called "Light Up Canton for Jorelys" was created
Monday and encouraged those in the community to leave porch lights on to
honor the slain girl.

"Let's show this family that we care, and let's show this killer that
we are all united until he is hunted down and brought to justice," the
Facebook page stated.

Monday night, neighbors and friends held candles and brought flowers
and stuffed animals to the playground, creating a makeshift memorial.

As the collection of flowers and candles continued to grow at the
playground late Monday, neighbors told the AJC they were worried about a
suspect in the girl's death being on the loose.

"You don't know if it's your neighbor. You don't know if it's someone
you say ‘hey' to every day on your way to work," Lindsey Hale, who
lives next door to the Riveras, told the AJC. "You can't trust anyone."
http://www.ajc.com/news/cherokee/canton-girl-died-of-1252353.html

Autopsy: Girl beaten, stabbed, raped





CHEROKEE COUNTY, Ga. —
Autopsy
results were released Tuesday after a missing girl’s body was found in
the Dumpster of a Canton apartment complex the previous day. According
to the autopsy, the girl died of blunt force trauma to the head, and she
was stabbed and sexually assaulted.
The girl, Jorelys
Rivera, was a 7-year-old who disappeared from a playground at the River
Ridge apartments where she lived. She was being watched by a teenage
babysitter. Neighbors said she was playing with friends Friday afternoon
when she left to get drinks but never returned. Her two younger
siblings have since been taken into state custody.
Law
enforcement officials launched a massive search and found the body three
days later while sifting through the complex’s Dumpster. Georgia Bureau
of Investigation Director Vernon Keenan said authorities believe the
killer lived in the apartment complex, though no suspects have been
identified.
"This was a very calculated and planned crime," Keenan said at a Tuesday news conference.
Keenan
said the girl was killed in a vacant apartment of the complex. He said
there are several sex offenders in the area, but they have been ruled
out as suspects. The 65 investigators working the case have conducted
several hundred interviews and re-interviewed people several times.
On
Monday, a memorial grew at the River Ridge playground for Jorelys.
Residents, parents and some of Jorelys’ classmates joined in to say a
prayer for her at a candlelight vigil.
“I
don't know anyone who would do this. A crazy person. What would be on
their minds to kill a 7-year-old?” neighbor Pamela Asansa said.
With a killer on the loose, residents said they’re living in terror.
“I’m afraid to walk. I’m afraid. My son’s already told me he’s going to bring me a gun,” said Linda Thomason.
Authorities
are offering a $15,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and
conviction. Anyone with information should call 770-721-7852.
http://www.wsbtv.com/news/news/local/slain-girls-autopsy-results-be-released/nFt4Y/

---

7-year-old Georgia girl died of head trauma, stabbing, investigators say

By the CNN Wire Staff
updated 4:27 PM EST, Tue December 6, 2011






New details on slain 7-year-old girl



STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• Jorelys Rivera died of blunt force trauma to the head, investigators say
  
• Jorelys, 7, had also been stabbed and sexually assaulted, authorities say
  
• Authorities found what they believe is blood in a vacant apartment building
  
• The killer likely lives in or has ready access to the apartment complex , authorities say
  

Atlanta (CNN)
-- A 7-year-old girl whose body was found in a trash bin outside her
Georgia apartment building died of blunt force trauma to the head, was
stabbed and had been sexually assaulted, authorities said Tuesday.

The
killer probably lives in the apartment complex where the child lived or
had ready access to it, said Vernon Keenan, director of the Georgia
Bureau of Investigation.

"We have multiple leads we feel are valuable and we're going to carry those out," he said.

Sixty-five
state and federal investigators are trying to piece together the events
that led to the killing of Jorelys Rivera at an apartment complex in
Canton, about 40 miles north of Atlanta, where the girl was found three
days after she went missing.

Keenan said investigators uncovered
what they believe is blood in a vacant apartment unit. They do not
currently have any suspects in custody, he said.
Missing 7-year-old body found

Neighbors hold vigil for slain girl


Missing Georgia child found dead

Relatives of the little girl mourned her death.

"My
world collapsed," her father, Ricardo Galarza, told CNN affiliate WAPA
in Puerto Rico. "I couldn't believe that they robbed her from me."

"They destroyed my soul," her grandmother, Wanda Ivette Rivera, told the same network. "They took a piece of my heart."

Another
family member, Miriam Rivera, urged the state of Georgia to "throw the
full weight of the law to the person who did this."

Police have asked for help from the public to find out who killed the little girl.

She
was last seen alive Friday near a playground at her apartment. Police
initially thought she might have wandered off, but, after more than 48
hours of searching, they said they believed she was kidnapped.

"It's
so close to home. To think she was just right there at the park and
from there disappeared is the scariest thing," Maria Rodriguez, a friend
of the girl's mother, told CNN.

Canton police, assisted by the
FBI and the GBI, expanded the search area Monday and began canvassing
for sex offenders living nearby. Jorelys' body was found in a dumpster
at the apartment complex where she lived.

As of Monday afternoon,
Keenan said, investigators were actively pursuing leads, but police had
no one in custody and no suspects.

"Quite frankly, at this point
we do not have a strong suspect. We've not focused in on anyone. We
very much need information from the public who may know something about
the abduction of this child," Keenan said.

State troopers were stopping and talking to everyone entering, leaving or driving by the apartment complex Monday afternoon.

Earlier
Monday, as volunteers and police handed out fliers with information and
a picture of the missing child, her mother spent the morning in court
trying to regain custody of her other children, who were taken by the
Department of Family and Children's Services over the weekend in the
wake of Jorelys' disappearance for alleged lack of supervision. Her
request was denied, according to the Cherokee County Sheriff's
Department.

The girl's parents are not suspects, Keenan said.

Joselin
Rivera had spoken with local media hours after her young daughter went
missing Friday, saying she just wanted her returned safely.

A funeral home in north Georgia has announced that services for a 7-year-old girl who police say was abducted and killed have been set for this weekend.

Darby Funeral Home in Canton says the service for Jorelys Rivera is set for 2 p.m. Saturday at First Baptist Canton.

Police say the girl was last seen Friday near her Canton apartment. They believe she was abducted near a playground, taken to a vacant apartment nearby and attacked. She was sexually assaulted, stabbed and beaten, and her body was dumped in a trash bin.

Investigators say they feel strongly that someone who lives in the apartments or had regular access to them may be her killer. No arrests have been made.


Read more: http://www.pantagraph.com/news/national/funeral-set-for-ga-girl-who-was-abducted-killed/article_8546af29-ed13-52bf-aaf6-7388b1bb0a73.html#ixzz1frNwX6GN

As I understand it, police are very interested in a maintenance man for the complex.

Who else would have had access to an unrented apartment?

TomTerrific0420 wrote:As I understand it, police are very interested in a maintenance man for the complex.

Who else would have had access to an unrented apartment?

Exactly!

I do wonder why they won't give the other children back to the mom. I see that it says lack of supervision of Jorelys (but she had a 15 y/o babysitter), but it seems like they should be at home in a familiar environment and near their mom to be able to grieve with her and to find comfort with her presence.

Finding Jorelys' Killer: The Search Hits Close to Home

The investigation into the death of 7-year-old Jorelys Rivera centers on the complex where the little girl lived--for clues and her killer

Video>

http://www.wtsp.com/video/default.aspx?bctid=1314505197001

GBI: Arrest Made in Jorelys Rivera Murder Case

Details expected at 1:45 pm press conference

Updated: Wednesday, 07 Dec 2011, 1:14 PM EST
Published : Wednesday, 07 Dec 2011, 12:44 PM EST

CANTON, Ga. - Authorities say they have made an arrest in the brutal slaying of 7-year-old Jorelys Rivera.
Details of the arrest are expected at a news conference, which is planned for 1:45 pm
at the Cherokee County Administration Building.

Rivera was reported missing from the River Ridge Apartments in Canton, where
her family lives, on Friday afternoon. Her body was found when
investigators searched a trash bin from the apartment complex on Monday.
Authorities say she died of blunt force trauma to the head, and she had
been badly beaten and sexually assaulted.

According to investigators Jorelys was abducted near the River Ridge Apartments
playground. They say she was then taken to a vacant apartment at the
complex, where she was badly beaten, stabbed, and sexually assaulted.
Police believe the person who abducted Jorelys murdered her and then
dumped her body in the trash container.

No details were immediately available as to who had been arrested in the case. Specific
information was expected to be given by Georgia Bureau of Investigation
Director Vernon Keenan at a 1:45 p.m. press conference .

• CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE PRESS CONFERENCE LIVE
  

A $15,000 reward has been offered for information leading to the arrest
and conviction of the person responsible for Jorelys’ death.

Meanwhile on Wednesday, information on funeral arrangements for the girl was made
public. A public viewing for Jorelys is planned for Friday at the Darby
Funeral Home in Canton from 5 - 8 pm. On Saturday, a public memorial
service will take place at the First Baptist Church in Canton at 2 pm.
According to Darby Funeral Home, Rivera's remains will then be flown to
Puerto Rico for burial after a private service for family members.

This is breaking news. Stay with FOX 5 News and myfoxatlanta.com for the latest as it develops.

GBI: 20-Year-Old Man Arrested in Jorelys Rivera Murder Case
Suspect is apartment maintenance worker

Updated: Wednesday, 07 Dec 2011, 2:10 PM EST
Published : Wednesday, 07 Dec 2011, 12:44 PM EST

By MYFOXATLANTA STAFF/myfoxatlanta

CANTON, Ga. - Authorities say they have made an arrest in the brutal slaying of 7-year-old Jorelys Rivera. During a press conference on Wednesday afternoon, Georgia Bureau of Investigation Director Vernon Keenan said Ryan Brunn, a 20-year-old maintenance worker from the apartment complex where Jorelys lived, is charged with murder.

Brunn was arrested at approximately 12:40 p.m. on Wednesday, and he was taken to the Cherokee County Detention Center. Keenan said his arrest was based on information received from the public. According to authorities, there are no other suspects in the case.

During the news conference, authorities said they were not aware of any criminal history in Brunn's past, but the investigation continues.

Rivera was reported missing from the River Ridge Apartments in Canton, where her family lives, on Friday afternoon. Her body was found when investigators searched a trash bin from the apartment complex on Monday. Authorities say she died of blunt force trauma to the head, and she had been badly beaten and sexually assaulted.



According to investigators, Jorelys was abducted near the River Ridge Apartments playground. They say she was then taken to a vacant apartment at the complex, where she was badly beaten, stabbed, and sexually assaulted . Police believe the person who abducted Jorelys murdered her and then dumped her body in the trash container.

A $15,000 reward has been offered for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person responsible for Jorelys’ death.

Meanwhile on Wednesday, information on funeral arrangements for the girl was made public . A public viewing for Jorelys is planned for Friday at the Darby Funeral Home in Canton from 5 - 8 pm. On Saturday, a public memorial service will take place at the First Baptist Church in Canton at 2 pm. According to Darby Funeral Home, Rivera's remains will then be flown to Puerto Rico for burial after a private service for family members.

http://www.myfoxatlanta.com/dpp/news/local_news/GBI-Arrest-Made-in-Jorelys-Rivera-Murder-Case-20111207-pm-sd