‘Dangerous’ Marlboro man who escaped police custody accused in brutal attack on his mother, officers

A “dangerous” Marlboro man who escaped police custody while at a hospital over the weekend was held without bail on Monday pending a dangerousness hearing, accused of brutally beating and strangling his mother and attacking responding officers before his arrest.

Isaac Rivera, 24, is facing 23 charges in connection with a violent attack on his mother on Saturday, when police responded to the domestic violence call at a home in Marlboro, a prosecutor said in court.

Rivera is charged with strangulation or suffocation, two counts; assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, three counts; assault with a dangerous weapon, three counts; assault and battery, two counts; intimidation of a witness; assault and battery on a police officer; escape from a police officer; possession of a large capacity firearm; firearm violation with one prior violent/drug crime; vandalizing property two counts; possession to distribute a Class B drug, two counts; possession to distribute Class D drug; resisting arrest; disorderly conduct; threat to commit a crime and possession of a Class E drug. A not guilty plea was entered on his behalf in Marlborough District Court on Monday.

Rivera escaped from police custody while at UMass Marlboro Hospital over the weekend, sparking a manhunt and concerns from police and the public before he was found and taken back into custody on Sunday by Milford Police.

On Saturday afternoon, police officers were dispatched to a Marlboro apartment after receiving reports of yelling, screaming and things being thrown in the apartment.

When police arrived, they heard a woman crying “as she was actively being injured,” a prosecutor said in court, detailing the disturbing attack.

When police entered the apartment, officers saw Rivera straddling a woman on the couch, who was later identified as his mother, with his hands on her, the prosecutor said.

Officers ordered him to stop and get away from the woman, but they were “forced to grab his arms and bring him down on couch” and off of the woman, the prosecutor said. Rivera “attempted to strike and resist” and police tried to remove him from the apartment.

Rivera is accused of then picking up a vase and throwing it at an officer. He then picked up a large white metal stool and threw it at the officer, striking him in the left arm as the officer tried to block the throw, the prosecutor said.

“He also charged in the officer’s direction which caused him to deploy his taser,” the prosecutor said.

Rivera ran outside, and police found him sitting in a chair and tried to place him in handcuffs, but “he resisted,” the prosecutor said.

Rivera is accused of picking up another yellow chair and “bringing it over his head as if to hit the officer” and he continued pursuing the officer with the chair over his head “yelling for the officer to shoot him,” the prosecutor said. Additional officers arrived at the scene and saw Rivera with the chair in his hands.

Rivera tried to run away again, a struggle ensued and four officers had to work together and subdue him to bring him to the ground, the prosecutor said.

A short time later, while an ambulance was taking Rivera to a local hospital, the ambulance driver had to stop the ambulance in the middle of the road, as paramedics reported to police that Rivera “was spitting at them, kicking them and kicking the ambulance creating damage,” the prosecutor said. An officer then joined paramedics inside the ambulance, but Rivera continued to assault paramedics and damage property during the transport.

Police found a white powdery substance in a baggie where he had been that was later identified to be cocaine, the prosecutor said.

Rivera is accused of assaulting his mother, after “he began to yell at her about how he doesn’t like her new boyfriend,” the prosecutor said in court.

He began punching walls and breaking things around the apartment, “struck her multiple times on her head, followed her into bedroom and strangled her on the bed,” the prosecutor said. The victim escaped into the next room, but Rivera is accused of following her, holding up her cell phone, and then throwing the phone at her.

The victim was able to get her phone and dial 911 but “was unable to respond as he continued to attack her,” the prosecutor said. Rivera “struck her several more times with a closed fist, and took the phone and hung up on the 911 dispatcher” and threw the phone. An officer then came inside the apartment and saw Rivera strangling his mother.

On a nearby couch that Rivera was staying on the previous evening, police found a large-capacity firearm, or “ghost gun” with no marked serial numbers.

Prosecutors said in court that they were trying to get documents about Rivera’s history from eight different courts, including in Dedham, Worcester, Uxbridge, Clinton, Lowell, Framingham and Milford.

Rivera’s defense attorney on Monday argued that Rivera has mental health issues. His defense attorney contested some of the charges, including the firearm charge, the second strangulation charge, and the escape from a police officer.

“It’s pretty clear from some descriptions of the alleged behavior of the defendant that he’s not in his right mind,” the defense attorney said, arguing that there is no probable cause to hold Rivera. “He does have mental health issues.”

A judge said the state met its burden for probable cause, and ordered Rivera held without bail pending a dangerousness hearing on Friday.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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