Troy police make arrest in shooting that paralyzed 12-year-old MJ Rivera

TROY, N.Y. » Troy police announced three separate arrests in connection with two serious shooting incidents.

On March 8, 2021, a shooting occurred on O’Neil Street that critically wounded a child, MJ Rivera. The lead detectives on the case, Detective Sergeant Mary Magnetto & Detective Sergeant Brandon Cipperly, joined by the other members of the Detective Bureau worked steadfastly on this investigation since its inception. The Rensselaer County Court has issued two separate indictment warrants for two defendants connected to this incident.

Julian Soto, 24, of Troy and a juvenile, 17, of Troy were both charged with felony second-degree attempted murder, and felony second-degree criminal possession of a weapon. Both individuals are currently in custody in relation to separate incidents and will be processed on these new charges in the coming days.

On June 10, 2020, a shooting occurred in the area of River Street and Glen Avenue that critically injured a 26-year-old city resident. The lead detectives on this case, Detective Sergeant Brandon Cipperly & Detective Joshua Comitale, along with other detectives and law enforcement partners, continued actively working leads in this case over the course of the past 15 months. Rensselaer County Court has issued an indictment warrant for a defendant connected to this incident.

Francisco R. Rivera, 23, of Troy, was arrested and charged with second-degree attempted murder, felony first-degree assault, felony second-degree assault, and felony second-degree criminal possession of a weapon. He has been remanded to Rensselaer County Jail.