Inset: Pierce Hoempler (Miami-Dade Corrections). Left: Hector Rivera. Right: Frank Rivera and Jeremy Rivera (GoFundMe).
A Florida man faces prison time for killing a father and the victim's two sons who came to his aid during a fight outside an apartment complex.
Pierce Nelson Hoempler, 36, was convicted of first-degree murder in the death of 57-year-old Hector Rivera and second-degree murder for slaying 37-year-old Frank Rivera and 33-year-old Jeremy Rivera.
"The senseless murder of Hector Rivera and his two sons, Jeremy and Frank, was made even more tragic as they were gunned down in front of Frank's 8-year-old and 10-year-old sons who lost their father, uncle and grandfather all at once," Miami-Dade County Prosecutor Katherine Fernandez Rundle said.
The incident occurred around 4:15 p.m. on Nov. 23, 2023, at an apartment complex in North Miami.
A probable cause arrest affidavit said Hoempler and Hector Rivera were fighting for an unspecified reason outside. Both men fell to the ground and Hoempler pinned Hector Rivera. The younger Riveras came running to help their father.
Hoempler pulled out a gun from his waistband and shot all three victims. Hector Rivera suffered multiple gunshot wounds while his sons were shot once each. Paramedics pronounced the three victims dead at the scene.
Several witnesses pointed out Hoempler as the suspect, and cops arrested him. He's scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 23.
"Even though we know that nothing can bring back Hector, Jeremy and Frank to their beloved family, we hope that this verdict can bring them some sense of closure after enduring unimaginable pain," Fernandez Rundle said.
Hector, originally from Puerto Rico, worked in construction most of his life and was a "loving father and loyal friend," his obituary said.
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