Uncle Of 11-Year-Old Who Died In Lawrence Now Charged With Rape

LAWRENCE, MA — The man charged in connection with the death of his 11-year-old great niece is now facing a rape charge stemming from the case. Miguel Rivera, 58, appeared in Lawrence District Court Tuesday morning and was arraigned on an additional charge of rape of a child with force.

Rivera was arrested Jan. 18 and charged with permitting substantial bodily injury to a child and misleading a police investigation in connection with the death of a Haverhill sixth-grader, who Patch has identified in previous stories but is withholding now because of the sexual assault charge. She was found unresponsive in Rivera's Lawrence apartment on Dec. 15, and died days later.

The Essex County District Attorney's Office did not say who the victim of the alleged rape was, but did say it occurred Dec. 15 and that the charge came after evidence was found during an autopsy.

Rivera, who was being held on $1 million bail after his first arraignment in the case, was ordered held without bail Tuesday.

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