DeBary man sentenced to death for 2019 murder of childhood friend

VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. — A DeBary man is headed to death row for the 2019 murder of a long-time friend.

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In January, a Volusia County jury found now 52-year-old Julio Rivera guilty as charged of first-degree murder and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Those same jurors then voted 8-4 to recommend Rivera be put to death for the brutal murder of his childhood friend, Roberto Ovalle.

On December 8, 2019, investigators say Ovalle visited Rivera at the DeBary storage unit that Ovalle rented and let Rivera stay in for a while.

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Investigators say Rivera “felt disrespected” by his friend after some time, then pulled out a gun and shot him in the back of the head.

Ovalle was pronounced dead at the scene. Investigators say his girlfriend witnessed the murder and reported it to the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office.

Rivera initially left the area but was arrested later when he returned to the crime scene while detectives were still investigating.

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Investigators say Rivera later admitted in a recorded jail call that he was the shooter.

After a hearing on Thursday afternoon, a judge agreed with the jury’s recommendation and sentenced Rivera to death for his murder conviction.

According to court records, Rivera was convicted of robbery and murder in New York but served less than 25 years in prison. He moved to Florida upon his release and murdered Ovalle within six months of his arrival in the state.

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“Today, he was sentenced to death for the execution of his long-time friend,” State Attorney R.J. Larizza said in a statement announcing Rivera’s sentence. “Florida has the death penalty for a reason – to ensure that sociopaths like Rivera cannot be released to murder again and again.”

The Volusia Sheriff’s Office and Assistant State Attorney Heatha Trigones investigated the case. It was successfully prosecuted by Chief of Homicide Jason Lewis.

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