The family of pregnant teen Savanah Nicole Soto, who was found dead with her boyfriend, was seen arguing in court with a man accused of killing her brother.
Ethan Soto, 15, was shot and killed during what was believed to be revenge for a drug robbery in May 2022, according to San Antonio police.
His sister, Savanah, 18, is also now dead after her body was found next to her boyfriend Matthew Guerra, 22, on Tuesday evening, just three days after the pair were reported missing, on the same day she was expected to be induced into labor.
Police are now investigating their deaths as a possible murder, in a tragic parallel to the death of Ethan, who police believe was murdered.
Several months ago, the Soto family was seen as the man accused of killing Ethan, Victor Nathaneal Rivas, appeared in court to face charges in his death.
As Rivas took the stand, members of the Soto family were seen charging at him, leading to a huge brawl.
Footage shows at least four members jumping over a partition and throwing punches at Rivas, who allegedly challenged the group by gesturing at them.
A user who claimed to be a neighbor of Soto and Guerra last year said they witnessed the friend “fighting and hitting her almost every day.”
The shooter is said to have lured his 'victim' from his home in May 2022 after Ethan stole THC cartridges from Rivas (photo: Ethan Soto)
Victor Nathaneal Rivas, 18, was on trial Friday for the murder of Ethan Soto, 15, when the Soto family launched an attack, footage shows
Following the violent outbreak, four people were arrested — including two adult men and two juvenile men — and were expected to be charged with assault and disrupting legal proceedings, according to the Bexar County Sheriff's Office.
Rivas, who was 17 at the time of his alleged crime, was arrested and charged with murder in August 2022 after he was accused of shooting Soto in what appeared to be revenge for a drug robbery, San Antonio police said.
Judge Ron Rangel said he was forced to press the courtroom's panic button after the brawl broke out.
Rivas' attorney Adam LaHood told KSAT they were in court for a routine preliminary hearing. He said the eruption was “definitely unexpected” and “not something you ever want to see happen.”
The shooter is said to have lured his 'victim' from his home in May 2022 after Ethan stole THC cartridges from Rivas.
Now, in a shocking twist, Ethan's sister, who regularly posted online about her grief over the loss of her brother, has also died.
After days of searching, the bodies of Savanah and her boyfriend were found in a vehicle on the northwest side of the Colinas Medical Apartments in San Antonio.
Soto was last seen at her Leon Valley apartment and is believed to be in “imminent danger” or has disappeared involuntarily, according to authorities.
Gloria Cordova, mother of Savanah and Ethan, said at the time her daughter went missing that the teen would never run away, especially after her brother's death.
The sobbing parent said, “She knows what I went through with Ethan and I know she wouldn't want me to go through it again. It's hard, like one after another'
Rivas, who was 17 at the time of his alleged crime, was arrested and charged with murder in August 2022 after he was accused of shooting Soto in what appeared to be revenge for a drug robbery, Sant Antonio police said (Photo: Rivas)
Savanah Soto, 18, and her boyfriend Matthew Guerra were found dead after going missing on December 23
The nine-month pregnant teenager never showed up at the hospital where she was due to be induced on Saturday at 6:30 p.m.
Gloria Cordova, mother of Savanah and Ethan, said at the time her daughter went missing that the teen would never run away, especially after her brother's death.
The sobbing parent said, “She knows what I went through with Ethan and I know she wouldn't want me to go through it again. It's hard, one after the other.'
Mariana Delgado, who claims to be the pregnant teen's sister-in-law, had posted photos of tributes to Ethan last year. In one of the photos, she was seen carrying Ethan's coffin.
Early last night, she posted on Facebook to confirm that Savanah's body had been found and that she was in “dire condition.”
Delgado later asked the family to be allowed to grieve.
San Antonio Police Chief William McManus said the department will work with Leon Valley police to investigate her death.
McManus told reporters the crime scene is “very complex and confusing.”
He said: 'Detectives are currently considering this as a possible murder but we are not sure.'
McManus also said police did not know who found the vehicle.
A memorial for Ethan was placed by members of his family
In a post on Facebook, Delgado said Savanah's body was found early tonight and that she was in “bad bad condition.”
Leon Valley Police had issued a CLEAR warning Monday for Soto, described as a white female, 6 feet tall, weighing 115 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes.
The heartbroken mother said she last heard from her daughter on December 22, but was unable to reach her on Saturday when she decided to check on Savanah at her apartment outside San Antonio.
“I went over there and knocked and knocked and knocked, but she didn't answer,” Cordova said. 'We've arrived at the hospital. They said she wasn't there.'
Cordova said Savanah was ready to be a mother, had the nursery ready and planned to give birth in the delivery room with her mother.
She had also taken to social media to ask for help by posting a photo of pregnant Savanah.
“I'm worried about her safety, she is with her boyfriend who is no good,” the desperate mother had written in a Facebook post.
'Please come home. No one is going to judge you. No one is going to say anything,” Cordova said. “I just want you home.”
Her boyfriend Matthew Guerra was also missing and some accused him of being involved. Guerra's mother denied the allegations against her son: 'I know my son and he wouldn't do anything to hurt her'
Social media users have accused Soto's friend Guerra of abuse, citing the bruises and marks they observed on Soto in her TikTok videos.
A user who claimed to be a neighbor of Soto and Guerra last year said they witnessed the friend “fighting and hitting her almost every day.”
“I saw him hit her and kick her down while she was unconscious,” the unnamed person said, adding that “he kicked her body and face” and “she needed stitches.”
The person claimed he testified against Guerra, who is reportedly on probation.
Guerra's mother denied the accusations against her son: “I know my son and he wouldn't do anything to hurt her.”
'I know that my son and his girlfriend were taken against their will because my son does what he does for money. He is not an abusive boyfriend,” the mother said in a Facebook post that has been deleted.