A 70-year-old Florida man has been arrested and charged with strangling a teenager who was walking through his backyard, authorities say.
Kyle Riva is facing felony charges of third-degree battery by strangulation and third-degree robbery by sudden snatching after an incident Monday evening in Seminole County, according to court records. He also faces a misdemeanor charge of first-degree criminal mischief for damaging property valued between $200 and $1,000.
Background
The confrontation began around 7:10 p.m. when two minors—a 12-year-old and a 13-year-old—were walking through Riva's backyard on Tigua Island Court, a residential street just northeast of Orlando in unincorporated Seminole County.
According to an arrest report obtained by Law&Crime, Riva's wife observed the boys and exited her home to confront them. She demanded they leave the property, authorities stated. The 13-year-old allegedly responded with profanity directed at the woman before she returned inside to inform her husband of their presence.
The Investigation
Riva emerged from his residence in what court documents describe as an agitated state. The older teenager told investigators he felt threatened and began recording the interaction on his cell phone as Riva approached him.
The teens described the encounter differently than initially reported—noting that what authorities initially characterized as a push near the collarbone was actually something far more violent. According to their statements, Riva grabbed the 13-year-old by the neck and applied pressure, squeezing against the boy's throat.
Riva then seized the phone from the teenager's hand and threw it into Lake Antigua, which borders his backyard property, according to the arrest report.
The Charges
Following the incident, the teens returned to the older boy's residence where his father learned what had transpired. Authorities say the victim sustained visible injuries to his throat—bruising that investigators noted "clearly show the impressions of fingers which had wrapped around his throat."
The father expressed his intent to pursue criminal charges against Riva.
Riva was taken into custody and made his first appearance in Seminole County Court on Tuesday. He has since been released from the Seminole County Jail.
Key Takeaways
- Kyle Riva, 70, of Tigua Island Court in Seminole County, Florida, is charged with third-degree battery by strangulation—a felony offense
- He also faces a felony count of third-degree robbery by sudden snatching and misdemeanor criminal mischief
- The 13-year-old victim sustained visible bruising on his throat consistent with manual strangulation
- Riva allegedly threw the teen's cell phone into Lake Antigua after choking him
- The confrontation began over two minors walking through Riva's backyard property
What's Next
Riva is scheduled to return to court for arraignment proceedings on August 25. The case remains under investigation by the Seminole County Sheriff's Office.