A Connecticut boy, Niko, aged 10, imparted an emotional message about his late father, Fernando “Chino” Rivera, who was tragically murdered five years ago, just before Halloween. The impact of his father’s untimely death was profound as he longed for the cherished moments they would never have together during Halloween.
Niko bravely presented his heartfelt victim impact statement during the sentencing of Terrence Johnson, the man convicted of his father’s murder, who was given a 38-year prison term on Tuesday.
“I didn’t have enough time (with my dad)… My dad should still be here. He was taken away from me too soon,” Niko expressed in a video shown at the Superior Court in Milford, as reported by the Hartford Courant.
On that fateful Halloween in 2020, Niko eagerly awaited his father’s return to celebrate together, but Rivera never came home.
The 35-year-old was attacked by Johnson, then 18, at the intersection of Elm Street and Washington Avenue in West Haven, where he was stabbed from behind.
Rivera suffered severe injuries and tragically succumbed to a neck wound at Yale New Haven Hospital the following day, according to his obituary.
At just five years old, Niko was told that his father had died due to a “boo-boo.”
Johnson was apprehended and charged with murder, as detailed in court documents accessed by The Post.
He reached a plea agreement with prosecutors, adjusting his sentence to a duration of 30 to 45 years, according to Baez.
Niko expressed to the court that he believed Johnson should face a much harsher penalty, wishing for him to be imprisoned for 100 years, despite the sentence being less than four decades.
“I wish he would go away and stay in jail for 100 years. I want my dad to know that I miss him so much,” Niko stated.
Rivera’s friends and family described his greatest joy as being a father and cherishing moments with his son.
Baez expressed her hope that Johnson would endure a life sentence in jail “in a perfect world,” while recognizing the current sentencing as “a semblance of justice,” she told the court.
“You stole a life, you stole dreams, and you stole love, and no sentence can ever undo the damage you caused,” she aggressively told Johnson.
“At the end of my day, my son doesn’t have a dad,” Baez lamented.
Rivera was a 6-foot, 350-pound man celebrated for his tattoos and a gentle spirit. He dedicated his life to being a stay-at-home dad after the birth of his son, affectionately earning the nickname “Papa Bear” in the maternity ward, Baez shared.
“He was truly my best friend,” she reflected, according to the source.
“We grew up together, from our teenage years into adulthood,” Baez reminisced about her 17-year relationship with Rivera. “The journey had its challenges, yet we never lost hope in each other. We chose our family every single day, and that choice was what made him extraordinarily happy.”
