Man allegedly tried to steal car and fatally stabbed the 69-year-old owner in the torso and neck

KENNETT TOWNSHIP, Pa. (TCN) -- A 33-year-old man stands accused of fatally stabbing a 69-year-old man in the torso and neck after trying to steal his vehicle from a driveway.

According to the Chester County District Attorney's Office, on the night of Aug. 10, Javier Rivera allegedly attempted to take a BMW from a home, but the owner confronted him. Prosecutors said the owner, identified by WPVI-TV as Charles Maston, reportedly chased Rivera up the driveway, and Rivera allegedly fatally stabbed him in the torso and neck.

Prosecutors said Rivera then fled on foot and allegedly stole multiple vehicles to evade arrest. Authorities allege he crashed into a Honda Accord and stole that car when the drivers exited to exchange information. Rivera is accused of then driving a stolen vehicle and breaking into a home on New Street. According to the district attorney's office, Rivera eventually returned to his home, and police found him with a cut on his right palm and suspected dried blood on his shoes and shirt.

The district attorney's office announced that Rivera was arrested and faces a charge of first-degree murder and other related offenses.

Chester County District Attorney Christopher de Barrena-Sarobe said, "This quiet community was shattered by senseless violence."

Kennett Township Police Chief Matthew Gordon called it a "brutal attack that shocks the conscience," adding, "There was no reason for anyone to be stabbed last night."

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