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A man accused of stalking his ex-wife in Onalaska faces new charges after he allegedly attempted to pay the woman to skip his upcoming trial.
Andrew A. Rivera, 32, of Auburn, was already being held without bail when he made his preliminary appearance in Lewis County Superior Court for the new charges on Monday.
Rivera is charged with one count of witness tampering, a Class C felony punishable by up to five years in prison and $10,000 in fines, and five counts of violating a court order. The order violations are considered domestic violence gross misdemeanors, each punishable by up to 364 days in jail and $5,000 in fines.
Judge Joely Yeager set Rivera’s bail at $500,000 cash or bond, in agreement with the state’s request. Yeager said the allegations posed a threat to community safety and showed Rivera was likely to interfere with the administration of justice.
Rivera was arrested May 11 after being wanted since Feb. 4. The Lewis County Prosecutor’s Office charged him with one count each of second-degree assault, felony stalking and violating a court order. Each charge is considered a domestic violence offense.
Prosecutors have accused Rivera of using his vehicle to block his ex-wife’s car in the roadway. He also allegedly struck her car window with a metal pipe.
According to a probable cause affidavit, a Lewis County Sheriff’s Office detective spoke with the victim on July 1. The woman reported that Rivera had called her weekly since being jailed, saying Rivera had contacted her an estimated 50 times through another jailed individual’s HomeWAV account.
According to the affidavit, the woman said Rivera also had “friends do three-way calls with her and send her messages on Andrew's behalf.” The woman reported that she’d received money from Rivera’s brother, and said she believed the money “was to leave the state during the trial week,” adding that it was “suggested she stay in Montana for a month.”
The woman alleged that Rivera told her to tell the prosecutor's office she made up the charges.
The investigating detective reportedly verified 30 connected HomeWAV calls made to the victim and 60 incomplete calls. The detective also confirmed that Rivera, in a June 8 phone call, had offered to pay for an early-July trip to Montana, according to the affidavit.
At the time, Rivera’s trial was scheduled for July 6.
The detective reviewed another correspondence that occurred on June 12, in which Rivera allegedly asked the victim if she’d received the $150 from his brother.
On July 2, the court revoked Rivera’s $250,000 bail and ordered a no-bail hold in anticipation of the new charges.
Rivera is now scheduled for a July 9 trial-confirmation hearing for the stalking and assault case, along with an arraignment for the witness-tampering case.
For previous Chronicle coverage on the stalking case, visit https://tinyurl.com/5f244cbw.
