Authorities: Beach Park man took woman hostage, killed her dog

A Beach Park man is facing several felony charges after sheriff’s police say he took the mother of his child hostage Sunday morning at knife point.

Adrian Rivera also is accused of bludgeoning the woman’s dog to death and placing the remains in a cooler at the home they shared, Lake County sheriff’s Deputy Chief Chris Covelli said in a news release.

Rivera, 40, of the 10400 block of West Crissy Avenue was scheduled to appear in court Monday morning on a variety of felony charges in connection with events involving the woman, authorities said.

Lake County sheriff’s deputies responded to an address in Wadsworth about 8:45 a.m. for a report of a woman being held hostage, Covelli said.

According to Covelli, Rivera battered the woman at the Beach Park address where both live before taking her hostage. Rivera then went to retrieve a firearm but couldn’t locate it and armed himself with a knife instead, Covelli said.

According to Covelli, Rivera then forced the woman to drive to the Wadsworth location to pick up their young child who was being kept safe there. Rivera threatened to kill the woman and her family if she didn’t comply, he added.

Armed with a knife, Rivera forced the woman back into the vehicle with the child and forced her to drive away, authorities said.

The woman told her family she was being held against her will and Rivera had a knife, according to the release.

The family called 911 and provided a description of the vehicle, license plate and direction the vehicle was last seen traveling, according to the release.

It was located in the area of Lewis Avenue and Wadsworth Road in Beach Park amid a “high risk” traffic stop, Covelli said.

Deputies rescued the woman and child and Rivera was taken into custody. According to the release, deputies learned Rivera recently bludgeoned the woman’s dog to death and placed the remains of the dog in a cooler at the home. The remains, the bludgeon and two firearms belonging to Rivera were found at the residence, according to the release.

Rivera is charged with aggravated domestic battery involving strangulation; two counts of unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon; failure of a sexual offender to report a change of address; unlawful restraint and aggravated animal cruelty, all felonies.

Rivera also faces a misdemeanor charge of unlawful use of a weapon; two counts of domestic battery; and, child endangerment. Additional charges are possible, Covelli said.