Louisiana man charged with criminal homicide in 2021 Big Beaver murder
BIG BEAVER − A Louisiana man is charged with criminal homicide in connection with a March 14, 2021, shooting murder in the borough.
Raul Manuel Rivera-Arroyo, 31, of Houma, is charged in connection to the death of 26-year-old Rolando Contreras, of Moon Township.
According to court papers, at approximately 6:05 a.m. March 14, 2021, the Big Beaver Volunteer Fire Department and Beaver Falls Police were called to 1095 Shenango Road in Big Beaver for a house fire where Contreras was found inside deceased.
Three individuals, Rivera-Arroyo, Eder Ramos and Ana Mireles, were occupants of the residence.
Ramos told police after he and some friends went to a nightclub in Pittsburgh the night before, they returned to the residence to find Rivera-Arroyo there.
Court papers state Mireles and Rivera-Arroyo began to argue, and when Ramos attempted to intervene, Rivera-Arroyo struck him in the side of the head, prompting him to leave.
Ramos said after he left, he heard two gunshots, and later saw a vehicle driven by Rivera-Arroyo and Mireles leave the residence.
Court papers state Ramos entered the residence and saw Contreras lying inside deceased.
Court papers state he called Rivera-Arroyo and Mireles, with the latter telling him to start a fire by placing sheets on a lit stove, and was later told by the pair to recover Rivera-Arroyo's wallet and leave it in the bushes at the CVS Pharmacy in Aliquippa.
Court papers further state Rivera-Arroyo told Ramos he killed Contreras and that he would be next. Officials said Rivera-Arroyo goes by different names, including Juan Diego Hervert Camargo and Jose Gonzalez, each with a different date of birth.
The resulting fire caused one of the responding firefighters to get a concussion and a head contusion.
Rivera-Arroyo is charged with homicide, conspiracy to commit homicide, two counts of arson, one count of conspiracy to commit arson, one count of abuse of a corpse, and one count of tampering with evidence.
Ramos pleaded guilty in March to his charges of arson, abuse of a corpse and tampering with evidence and was sentenced to 18-36 months in prison. He also was ordered to pay costs to the Beaver Falls Police Department in the amount of $1,684 and restitution to State Farm Insurance, undergo a drug and alcohol evaluation and treatment, and undergo a mental health evaluation and treatment.
No charges have been filed against Mireles.
This article originally appeared on Beaver County Times: Louisiana man charged with homicide for 2021 Big Beaver murder
