Man gets 30 years for taking girlfriend to McDonald’s, then stabbing her more than 25 times
02/23/2026 4:12 pm PST
HARTFORD, Conn. (TCN) -- A 55-year-old man has been sentenced to 30 years in prison for killing his girlfriend in 2023.
WTIC reports that on Dec. 11, 2025, Pedro Grajales was found guilty of murder in the death of Nilda Rivera, 57. He was sentenced on Feb. 18 to 30 years in prison.
On April 16, 2023, Grajales, who was covered in blood, walked into a police station and said he had killed his girlfriend, WNYW reported at the time. He said Rivera’s body was in the passenger seat of the car he had driven to the station and showed an officer a photo of the body on his cellphone. He was arrested and charged with murder.
Though officers at the station attempted lifesaving measures when they found Rivera in the car, she was pronounced dead at the scene, about 15 minutes after Grajales had confessed to police.
According to a probable cause affidavit, Grajales stabbed Rivera more than 25 times because he believed she had cheated on him. He then reportedly sent photos of her body to her new boyfriend, WNYW reported.
Rivera had stab wounds on her chest, arms, head, and face, according to WTIC. Grajales reportedly watched her gasp for air before driving to the police station. He reportedly told police he had been planning to kill her for several days.
An arrest warrant obtained by Law & Crime reports that before Grajales killed Rivera, he was “intentionally treating her very nice so she would not suspect there was an issue.” He reportedly drove her to McDonald’s for a final meal before taking her to a parking lot. According to the arrest warrant, Grajales “moved his seat all the way back so he could have enough room to swing the knife.”
According to Rivera’s family members, Grajales was jealous and would look through her phone and make her delete items, as well as remove people from her friends lists on social media, WTIC reports.
In court, it was noted that Grajales had 15 previous convictions dating back to 1994, WTIC reports. These include burglary and drug and larceny convictions.
Family members say Grajales and Rivera’s relationship was on-again, off-again. Rivera’s daughter, Daniella Valle, said, “My mom was just looking for love. She was a mother. She was a grandmother. She was a friend,” Law & Crime reports.
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