Kylie Toberman, 14, was reported missing on Nov. 14 and found hours later in an RV behind her Vandalia, Illinois, home. Authorities arrested her step-uncle, Arnold B. Rivera Jr., 43, who faces charges including first-degree murder and aggravated criminal sexual assault. The Illinois State Police are leading the investigation, and the Fayette County Coroner is withholding cause and manner of death pending further inquiry. The community and school have offered grief support and counseling.
14-Year-Old Found Dead in RV Behind Home; Step-Uncle Arrested and Charged in Vandalia, Illinois
Kylie Toberman, 14, was reported missing on Nov. 14 and found hours later in an RV behind her Vandalia, Illinois, home. Authorities arrested her step-uncle, Arnold B. Rivera Jr., 43, who faces charges including first-degree murder and aggravated criminal sexual assault. The Illinois State Police are leading the investigation, and the Fayette County Coroner is withholding cause and manner of death pending further inquiry. The community and school have offered grief support and counseling.
11:27 PM, 11/17/2025Society
14-Year-Old Girl Found Dead in RV Behind Her Home; Step-Uncle Charged
The body of 14-year-old Kylie Toberman was discovered in an RV parked behind her Vandalia, Illinois, home hours after she was reported missing on Friday, Nov. 14.
Authorities say Kylie lived at the residence with her adoptive mother and two sisters. Her step-uncle, Arnold B. Rivera Jr., 43, who reportedly lived in the RV where her body was found, was identified as a person of interest and taken into custody the same day.
The Illinois State Police have assumed the investigation. Local outlets report Rivera Jr. has been charged with first-degree murder, aggravated criminal sexual assault and concealing a homicidal death. The Fayette County Coroner said the manner and cause of death are being withheld pending further investigation.
“The manner and cause of death is not being released at this time pending further investigation,” the Fayette County Coroner told PEOPLE.
Records reported by KSDK indicate Rivera Jr. previously faced charges in 2000 for burglary and criminal sexual abuse of a child between the ages of 9 and 16. Those earlier counts were later resolved after Rivera Jr. pleaded guilty to a separate charge as part of a deal, according to the report.
Rivera Jr. is being held at the Fayette County Jail and was scheduled for arraignment at the Fayette County Courthouse on Monday, Nov. 17, local outlets said.
Community Reaction and Support
Kylie attended Vandalia Junior High School and participated in the school's wrestling program. The Vandal Wrestling Takedown Club posted on Facebook that the team and the community are "grieving the loss of such a sweet and bright young girl." The local school district issued a statement expressing deep sadness, noting an active law enforcement investigation and that crisis response staff and counselors would be available to students and families.
Local news outlets reported statements from Kylie’s biological mother and local agencies; the Vandalia Police Department and Illinois State Police were contacted for comment, according to those reports.
Sources: KSDK, Vandalia Radio, Fayette County Emergency Management Agency, PEOPLE.