A Richmond man accused of setting his family’s house on fire, killing four relatives, submitted a not guilty plea Tuesday afternoon in Contra Costa County Superior Court.
Sergio Rivera-Vega, 32, appeared before Judge David Goldstein after his arraignment was held over from Aug. 24 to give his public defenders more time to review the case.
Rivera-Vega, sitting behind a glass barrier, had his back to the courtroom and only spoke once, entering the plea and waiving his right to a speedy trial.
He is expected to appear again in Martinez on Oct. 14.
Initially, Goldstein assigned the case to the Richmond’s George D. Carroll Courthouse, but the public defender’s office protested that, arguing that Rivera-Vega would not get a fair trial in Richmond due to the amount of publicity around the Aug. 18 fire.
When asked for comment after Tuesday’s hearing, the public defender’s office declined.
Rivera-Vega was arrested shortly after the fire broke out in the home at 15th Street and Macdonald Avenue. Investigators say that he was lingering just beyond the yellow police tape after officers began investigating the fatal fire.
Friends and family members of the four people who died were present at the brief hearing Tuesday and did not speak to reporters. They were shielded from media questions by employees of the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office.
Rivera-Vega’s father Jose Rivera, 47, and his nephew Andrew, 5, died the day of the fire. His niece Joline, 2, died a few days later, and the children’s mother, Maria, died Aug. 22, according to family members and news reports.
If convicted, the murder charge enhancements would carry a life sentence without the possibility of parole.
According to a report by NBC Bay Area, shortly after the fire Rivera-Vega was recorded on a nearby camera at the Richmond Eats building on the corner, flipping benches before sitting down next to a telephone pole.
The four deaths bring Richmond’s 2026 homicide total to nine, according to RPD crime statistics.
The victims’ family members have been raising money for funeral and basic living expenses, according to a GoFundMe campaign started by Evelin Rivera, a younger sister of Maria Rivera-Vega.
“My mom, siblings and I are heartbroken and overwhelmed trying to process the loss of our loved ones,” Evelin Rivera wrote on the GoFundMe page. “We are asking for help with living expenses after our home was destroyed in that tragic fire. I am currently unemployed and struggling to help cover our basic living expenses. Any donation or share would mean so much to our family as we try to rebuild our lives.”
The campaign has raised $71,550 of its $80,000 goal, with the 880 donors including two firefighter unions, which contributed more than $3,000.
