CLAYMONT, Del. (AP) - Prosecutors have dropped murder charges against a 35-year-old man accused of killing his mother and setting fire to a Delaware apartment building.
The News Journal reports (https://delonline.us/2rZsUU3) two developments led prosecutors to drop charges against Michael Rivera on Thursday.
The fire broke out Dec. 21, 2014 at the Harbor House Apartments in Claymont. Authorities say Rivera’s mother, 57-year-old Juanita Lara, was killed before the fire began.
Prosecutors say in a letter that a man came forward to police after Rivera’s arrest claiming to have been with Rivera on the night of Dec. 21.
Authorities also learned that a former maintenance worker at Harbor House had sold a master key to the apartment complex to a man who then used it to burglarize several apartments.
Rivera’s attorney Kathryn Van Amerongen says her client will be released from prison.
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Information from: The News Journal of Wilmington, Del., https://www.delawareonline.com
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