Miguel Miguelito Rivera was 27 when he was killed on the night of December 24, 2016, at a car enthusiasts gathering in the AutoZone parking lot on North Avenue in Bridgeport, Connecticut. Shortly after midnight a gold Cadillac Deville pulled up and two men, later identified as Xavier Rivera and Moises Contreras, got out and seized Rivera, dragging him into an adjacent lot. Witnesses said the men pistol-whipped him and demanded to know the whereabouts of their property, with Xavier Rivera believing Miguel had burglarized his apartment and stolen cash, sneakers, and marijuana.

The assault escalated when the men opened fire. Rivera was shot in the legs, back, and torso; he staggered away and collapsed near the drive-thru window of a neighboring Popeye’s, where he died at the scene. Bridgeport detectives developed leads rapidly; on January 24, 2017, Moises Contreras was arrested at his mother’s home in Bridgeport, and a week later Xavier Rivera was located in Manchester and taken into custody after an attempted flight. Prosecutors charged both men with murder, unlawful restraint, and firearm offenses. A witness cellphone recording in which Xavier Rivera allegedly admitted to the killing is reported as a key piece of evidence.

Does anyone have information about the gathering that night or saw the Cadillac Deville that arrived at AutoZone?