(NewsNation) — A Southern California man has been arrested by U.S. authorities in Los Angeles for allegedly killing a Tijuana sex worker and officials believe he’s linked to two other deaths.
Bryant Rivera, of Downey, California, is charged with one count of femicide — a gender-motivated killing of a woman — in Baja California. But more charges could be coming.
Mexican authorities believe Rivera killed two other women in Tijuana between Sept. 2021 and Feb. 2022 and have called him the “Ted Bundy of Tijuana.”
The 30-year-old now sits behind bars and is awaiting extradition to Mexico for the suspected killings. Mexican authorities may add additional charges when they submit a formal request for extradition, according to a criminal complaint that was unsealed in Los Angeles Federal Court.
Rivera is accused of strangling 20-year-old Ángela Carolina Acosta Flores to death in Jan. 2022. That attack allegedly took place at Hotel Cascadas, next to the Hong Kong Gentlemen’s Club in Tijuana’s red light district. Flores’ body was discovered by authorities the following afternoon.
According to the criminal complaint, Flores texted her mother that she was going with a client to a room at Hotel Cascadas for 30 minutes. Security camera footage showed a man and Flores together shortly after midnight on the night of the murder.
Rivera returned to the United States on foot at the San Ysidro port of entry that night, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) records.
Back in November, Baja California Attorney General Ricardo Carpio said that at least three victims had been linked to a killer who finds targets in strip clubs and bars in Tijuana’s red light district. The AG believes Rivera is that killer.
A detention hearing for Rivera is scheduled for Monday in Los Angeles and federal prosecutors will ask a judge to keep Rivera behind bars during extradition proceedings.
