Suspect arrested in Ethan Rivera shooting death extradited to Charlotte
A suspect in the shooting death of Charlotte Area Transit System bus driver Ethan Rivera is back in Charlotte after being extradited from Kansas on Thursday.
Darian Dru Thavychith, 21, was escorted into Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police headquarters on East Trade Street, as documented by WBTV News footage. Thavychith, wearing a mask, did not speak in response to questions by reporters, including whether he had anything to say to the Rivera family.
He was arrested at a gas station in Shawnee, Kansas on Feb. 28 and charged with murder and shooting into an occupied vehicle, the Observer previously reported. His first court appearance is on Friday, Meghan McDonald, spokeswoman for the Mecklenburg DA’s office, told the Observer.
Rivera, 41, was shot just after 9:30 p.m. in what police called a “road rage incident” on Feb. 11 in the 500 block of West Trade Street. Video of the shooting released to the media showed what led up to the incident, including Rivera and the driver of a black Honda Pilot, believed to be Thavychith, exchanging words.
Rivera’s mother, Sylvia, made an emotional plea for the public’s help in identifying her son’s killer last month.
“When he told me that they caught him, I just couldn’t stop trembling,” Rivera told the Observer after Thavychith’s arrest. “I feel relieved that he’s off the streets and he can’t hurt nobody else.”
This story was originally published March 17, 2022 at 6:02 PM.
