A 10-year-old boy delivers an emotional victim statement at the sentencing of his father’s killer, expressing his heartbreak over the loss of his dad, who was fatally stabbed just before Halloween in 2020.

Milford, Conn. — October 10, 2025 — In an emotional and heart-wrenching scene at the Superior Court in Milford on Tuesday, 10-year-old Niko Rivera addressed the man responsible for taking his father’s life.

Five years after the brutal stabbing of Fernando “Chino” Rivera, Niko stood before the court and delivered a victim impact statement that left the courtroom in stunned silence.

Through tears and trembling words, the young boy conveyed the pain of growing up without his father, saying, “My dad was taken from me too early.”

The tragedy unfolded on Halloween night in 2020, when Niko, then just five years old, waited eagerly for his father to come home so they could go trick-or-treating together.

But Fernando Rivera, a 35-year-old man known for his warm heart and protective nature, would never return.

He was brutally attacked by 18-year-old Terrence Johnson, who, in a senseless act of violence, stabbed Rivera from behind near the intersection of Elm Street and Washington Avenue in West Haven, Connecticut.

The attack, which took place in the early hours of October 31, left Rivera with a fatal neck wound. Despite being rushed to Yale New Haven Hospital, he succumbed to his injuries the following day.

His fiancée, Lindsee Baez, and their son, Niko, were left in the wake of the tragedy, forced to cope with the unimaginable loss of a man who was the cornerstone of their family.

In the courtroom, Niko, now 10, bravely spoke out against the man who had taken his father from him. His statement, delivered via a video played during Johnson’s sentencing hearing, was both devastating and profound.

“I didn’t get enough time with dad,” Niko said, his voice choked with emotion. “My dad deserved to stay. My dad was taken from me too early.” The young boy’s words struck a deep chord with everyone present, as the weight of his loss became all the more apparent.

He had been looking forward to that Halloween night—a time for memories, laughter, and family bonding—but instead, he was left with a lifetime of questions, sorrow, and a void that can never be filled.

Fernando Rivera, affectionately known as “Papa Bear” by those closest to him, had been a doting father and partner to Lindsee Baez. A 6-foot, 350-pound man covered in tattoos, Rivera had a reputation for being tough on the outside but gentle at heart.

After the birth of Niko, he chose to stay at home, dedicating his life to raising his son and creating a stable and loving environment. To Niko, his father was not just a protector, but a best friend, someone who would always be there—until that fateful night.

In a poignant moment during the trial, Niko shared his desire for the killer to be locked away for far longer than the sentence that would be handed down. “I wish he would go away and stay in jail for 100 years,” Niko said, his young voice filled with anger and pain.

“I want my dad to know I miss him so much.” Those words, from a boy too young to fully understand the complexities of justice, echoed the sentiments of every family member who had felt the void left by Rivera’s untimely death.

Terrence Johnson, who had been just 18 years old at the time of the attack, pleaded guilty to the murder of Fernando Rivera.

In a plea deal with prosecutors, Johnson received a sentence of 38 years in prison—a sentence that many, including Baez and Niko, feel is insufficient given the profound loss they’ve suffered.

Although the plea deal reduced his sentence from the possible life sentence he faced, the anguish in the room was palpable as Rivera’s loved ones confronted the reality that no punishment could ever bring back what was lost.

Lindsee Baez, in a powerful statement to the court, spoke directly to Johnson. “You stole a life, you stole dreams, and you stole love, and no sentence can ever undo the damage you caused,” she said, her voice quivering with barely contained fury.

“At the end of my day, my son doesn’t have a dad.” The room fell silent as her words hung in the air, a raw reminder of the void Johnson’s actions had created.

Baez, who had been engaged to Rivera for over 17 years, shared the heartbreak of raising their son without the man who had been her partner in every sense of the word. “We grew up together, from our teenage years into adulthood,” she said.

“The road was bumpy along the way, but we never gave up on each other. We chose our family every single day, and that choice made him so happy.”

Despite the years of struggle and their ups and downs, Baez said Rivera was always fully committed to their family.

“He was truly my best friend,” she added, her eyes welling up with tears as she spoke of their love and shared history. “His greatest joy was being a father and spending time with his son. Everything he did was for Niko.”

The Rivera family’s devastation was compounded by the fact that Niko, only five at the time of the murder, was initially told that his father had passed away from a “boo-boo,” a term his mother used to shield him from the brutal truth of what had happened.

But as Niko grew older, the full extent of the tragedy became painfully clear. And now, as a young boy who should have been planning his Halloween costumes with his father, he was forced to confront the murder of the man he loved more than anything.

During the sentencing, Johnson, who appeared calm and emotionless throughout the proceedings, offered a brief apology to the family, though it did little to assuage the anger and pain of those who had gathered to mourn Rivera’s life.

For Niko and his mother, it was a hollow gesture, as no apology could ever heal the wounds inflicted by the loss of a father, a son, and a beloved partner.

While the sentencing has provided some semblance of justice, it has done little to restore the void that Rivera’s death has left in his family’s life.

“We’re not asking for forgiveness,” Baez told the court. “I just want people to understand the kind of man my fiancé was. He was an amazing father, an amazing partner. And that’s what was taken from us.”

As the court proceedings came to a close, Niko’s brave words lingered in the air. His father had been taken from him too early, and despite the passage of time, the ache of that loss was just as fresh as it had been five years ago.

The pain of a child who would never again have the chance to go trick-or-treating with his father serves as a stark reminder of the devastation caused by violence, and the irreparable damage it inflicts on families.

For Niko, his father may be gone, but his memories and his love for him will live on forever. And while justice has been served in the courtroom, the Rivera family knows that no amount of time behind bars can ever bring Fernando Rivera back.