Bay Area man arrested on suspicion of killing 4 family members
A Bay Area man is in custody on suspicion of murder after a house fire killed four members of his family. Sergio Ivan Rivera-Vega, 32, faces life in prison without the possibility of parole if he is found guilty of all charges.
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Shortly before 9 p.m. on Tuesday, Richmond firefighters and police were called to a home on the 200 block of 15th Street. A home there was engulfed in flames with multiple residents inside. Four people were removed from the residence, all of whom have since died of their injuries, Richmond police said. The victims include two young children, ages 5 and 2, a 47-year-old man and a 33-year-old woman.
“My older brother set the house on fire with my dad, my older sister, my 5-year-old nephew, and my 2-year-old niece inside,” Evelin Rivera, the suspect’s younger sister, wrote on GoFundMe.
Rivera-Vega was taken into custody not long after the fire when Richmond detectives determined he allegedly “intentionally set the fire.” The motive is unclear at this time.
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“My mom, siblings and I are heartbroken and overwhelmed trying to process the loss of our loved ones,” Evelin Rivera wrote.
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Rivera-Vega is due in court for an arraignment on Monday.
“Knowing the suspect is related to the victims — including two children — makes this loss even harder to comprehend,” Contra Costa County District Attorney Diana Becton said in a statement.
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