YOUTH, DRUGS AND BAD JUDGEMENT EQUAL DEADLY MIX

First of Four Murder Defendants Convicted

Atlanta- Fulton County District Attorney Paul L. Howard, Jr. announces the conviction by jury trial in the murder case against 23-year old Alejandro Rivera. Jurors convicted Rivera Wednesday evening of Murder, Felony Murder, Aggravated Assault, and Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Crime. He received a maximum sentence of life plus five years in prison for the death of 19-year old Mark “Scoop” Martin in College Park.

On the night of February 24, 2008 Defendant Rivera, also known as “DRO” and a friend were driving around with several females while drinking and using cocaine and ecstacy. They ran out of drugs and began calling around looking to buy more. The men called a couple of friends who lived at a Godby Road apartment complex. They mentioned that the victim, Mark Martin, was at their apartment and had drugs to sell. Rivera and his male passenger drove to the apartment and left the women in the car. Once inside the apartment, the defendant, high on drugs, decided to rob the victim instead of purchasing his drugs. The defendant held the victim at gunpoint with a .38 caliber revolver. The victim resisted the robbery and broke free. As the victim was running away, the Defendant shot him once in the back, killing him instantly. Rivera and his friend fled the scene.

Antonious Robinson and Addarius George (the roommates who were present during the murder) panicked and attempted to clean up the crime scene—even going so far as to put the victim’s body under a bed. The men then called police and claimed that the victim crawled under the bed after being struck by a stray bullet through the wall.

Cheronne Manual, Defendant Rivera’s passenger on the night of the murder, eventually turned himself into police. The defendant was later captured by U.S. Marshals at a hotel room in Florida.

Addarius George, Antonious Robinson and Cheronne Manual have been indicted on the same charges as the defendant and are awaiting trial.

Fulton County Superior Court Judge Henry Newkirk presided over the case. It was prosecuted by Chief Senior Assistant District Attorney Lance Cross with assistance from ADA Ramona Toole and DA Investigator Vance Williams. College Park Police Detectives Ivey and Redding led the initial investigation.

Media Contact: Yvette Brown, 404-224-0560/404-392-8867, yvette.brown@fultoncountyga.gov