Ricardo Dagoberto Diaz-Nivarez Gets 25 Years for Murder of Jewelry Salesman, Just Like Mom

By Matt Coker Fri., May 18 2012 at 3:15 PM

Ricardo Dagoberto Diaz-Nivarez, 27, of Santa Ana, was sentenced today to 25 years to life in state prison for plotting with his mother to murder an elderly jewelry salesman whose body was never found. The granddaughter of 78-year-old Mario Hernandez told the court today that his murder devastated the family, and that she wished she could have given him a proper burial and a place to rest his headstone.

Hernandez often traveled to Los Angeles to fetch jewelry for his Orange County customers. On the night of March 17, 2005, he told his granddaughter he needed to get up early the next morning to meet a client buying jewelry from him.

OC Weekly archives of the murder of Mario Hernandez

When Hernandez did not return home the next night, his family called Santa Ana Police to file a missing person's report. The family also contacted Hernandez's cell phone company and discovered the last number he dialed on March 18, 2005, belonged to Garden Grove resident Rebeca Nivarez, the mother of Ricardo.

Rebeca Nivarez

Hernandez's van was found abandoned at Pavion Park in Mission Viejo the following week. Although it had not been burned, officers smelled gasoline throughout the interior. What had been a missing person's case was from then investigated as a homicide.

Detectives discovered several pieces of Hernandez's jewelry had been pawned at shops throughout Santa Ana. It was also uncovered that Ms. Nivarez had her daughter hold some jewelry for her before she fled the area.

After a yearlong investigation, Nivarez was arrested for robbing and murdering Hernandez. By then, Diaz-Nivarez had fled to Mexico, but he was later extradited back to the U.S. Both were convicted by juries, and now both have been sentenced to 25 years to life in prison.

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Dreamactsupporter

Let's use the logic of the Do Nothings (liberals). One of them probably came up with the idea while dreaming in their sleep. Therefore, they both should be protected under the Dream Act.

Todd Sputnik Garcia-Wero

Hey you fat fuck, get out of California if you can't speak the native language: Spanish.

Todd is a spoogeguzzler

Hey Todd Spoogeguzzler, I can speak mexican. I just choose not to. Why would I want to speak a language only spoken by a bunch of fucking losers like you?

Toddington Sputnik

I apologize if I sowed the seeks of your cognitive dissonance. Here, allow me to translate into your Okie language: GIT R DUN GIT R DUN GIT R DUN GIT R DUN GIT R DUN GIT R DUN GIT R DUN GIT R DUN GIT R DUN GIT R DUN GIT R DUN GIT R DUN GIT R DUN GIT R DUN GIT R DUN GIT R DUN GIT R DUN GIT R DUN GIT R DUN. I hope that your feeble and undereducated mind can fathom that.

mitch young

Does your mom know you talk like that, Todd?

Elder Sputnik

Which one?

Lily Snowbird

Good for you, Luis, for being disgusted. Now, what you and all other hard-working Mexicans need to do, is become vocal to your elected officials to stop the illegals from crossing our border. We cannot afford, either in terms of money or lives, to allow a foreign invasion of thiscountry. If you feel it's wrong, then DO something about it.

Todd Sputnik

Dear Feckless White Person: Get over it. Very Truly Yours, Your Future Leader Who Is Not Of The Pasty White Skin Colored Persuasian.

Luis

I Am Disgusted With These 2 Individuals.Its Idiots Like These That Make Us Hardworking Mexicans Look Bad.These Are The People Who Shouldn't Be Here.Poor Elderly Man. May He Rest In Peace.My Condolences To His Family.I'm Sorry For Your Loss.