A man accused of shooting his wife in Silver Spring, Maryland, in 1997 has been extradited to Montgomery County following his arrest in El Salvador.
Montgomery County police announced that Jose Mauricio Rivera, 58, was extradited on Dec. 5 and now faces charges of second-degree attempted murder and two counts of first-degree assault.
The incident occurred on Oct. 9, 1997, when Rivera confronted his estranged wife, Mirtilla Alas, in the elevator of her apartment building on Eastern Avenue. Police reports state that Rivera shot her multiple times. Court documents indicate the couple had separated due to allegations of domestic violence, and Alas had obtained a restraining order against Rivera. The two shared three children, but Alas had not disclosed their whereabouts to Rivera.
After the shooting, Rivera reportedly called Alas’ sister-in-law, saying, “I just shot Mirtilla … I hit her good, I think she’s probably going to die.” Despite sustaining gunshot wounds, Alas was treated at a hospital and later released.
Rivera fled the U.S. following the attack and evaded authorities for nearly 27 years. In April 2023, Interpol located and detained him in El Salvador.
Rivera is now held at the Montgomery County Detention Center’s Central Processing Unit, awaiting a bond hearing.
