Affidavit: Cindy Rivera killed by ex-husband, accomplice sought
The search for a Las Vegas woman missing for more than nine years has come to a tragic end.
Investigators with New Mexico State Police have determined that Cindy “Tig” Rivera, who was last seen in June of 2012, was killed by her ex-husband, Christopher Trujillo, according to an affidavit filed in San Miguel Magistrate Court. Trujillo committed suicide in May.
Police are now searching for 37-year-old Anselmo R. Ortiz, who is also known as “Chemo.” An arrest warrant was issued Friday for Ortiz who faces kidnapping charges related to Rivera’s disappearance and death.
Rivera was last seen June 29, 2012; she was 19. Rivera and Trujillo were wed in 2009, but divorced in 2011. Trujillo later remarried.
Rivera called her mother the evening of June 29, 2012, and said Trujillo had shown up drunk to the home she shared with her mother on Peggy Lane.
By 7 the next morning, Rivera’s mother was unable to contact her and reported Rivera missing to the Las Vegas Police Department.
Police searched the property and located slippers that belonged to Rivera — one on the sidewalk, the other in a nearby alleyway. In the alley, investigators found evidence that a struggle had taken place.
Records detailing cellular tower connections by Trujillo and Ortiz’s cellphones showed that Trujillo and Ortiz had been near a home in Serafina much of the day, but were in Las Vegas around 12:23 a.m. to 2:12 a.m. the morning Rivera was reported missing.
Trujillo’s cellphone did not connect to another tower until about 8:38 a.m. in Serafina. Ortiz’s cellphone connected to a tower in Serafina around 10:47 a.m., according to the affidavit. Other cellphone data indicated that Rivera, Trujillo and Ortiz were in “close geographical proximity” while connected to towers in Las Vegas.
Cell tower data also indicated that, on July 1, Trujillo and Ortiz left New Mexico to travel to Victorville, California.
During questioning, Ortiz’s ex-wife told police he’d called her the evening of June 29 and said he was “done” and that he was “going back to prison for the rest of his life,” according to the affidavit. Ortiz later said to her, “If anything happened to (Rivera), Chris did it.” She said Ortiz also told her that he didn’t kill Rivera, but admitted he’d helped bury her body.
Police were contacted by one of Trujillo’s relatives on May 2, 2021, who said Trujillo planned to kill himself and Ortiz, and that he’d made threats toward Ortiz and his family.
On April 30 and May 1, 2021, Ortiz contacted Rivera’s family and admitted that he knew what happened to Rivera, and demanded compensation for the information, or a promise that he wouldn’t be charged in her disappearance or death, according to the affidavit.
On May 4, deputies with the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office responded to a call about a suicide death in a home in La Cienega. There, they found Trujillo dead.
A search of Trujillo’s phone revealed he often recorded conversations, and in one between himself and his wife, Trujillo said, “I killed my ex-wife Cindy Rivera, and buried her in the national forest. I’m going to tell them ‘Chemo’ killed her and buried her,” according to the affidavit.
Ortiz has three active arrest warrants. In Rivera’s disappearance and death, Ortiz is charged with two felonies: kidnaping and conspiracy to commit kidnapping. He is wanted on another warrant for driving while his license was revoked.
Ortiz is also wanted on car theft charges for allegedly stealing a car on April 9, 2021, from the towing company owned by Trujillo before his death.
Ortiz was not in custody at the time of this writing.
