Rivaldo David Sis-Tobar, who was arrested by the Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD) on Wednesday and charged with the December 3 murder of Jose Lopez-Rivas, on Sunday was held in a Nashville jail on a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainer, Davidson County Sheriff’s Office (DCSO) records show.
The sheriff’s office website shows that Sis-Tobar was booked into the Downtown Detention Center in Nashville on December 10, and while he would be ineligible for bond due to the severity of his charges, he is additionally listed as ineligible for release due to an ICE detainer.
According to ICE, “officers lodge immigration detainers against potentially dangerous aliens who have been arrested by another law enforcement agency or are removable from the United States.”
Sis-Tobar is alleged to have fatally shot Lopez Rivas outside a hookah bar in Nashville, where a witness reportedly saw the victim speaking with an associate prior to the attack.
While MNPD stated in a press release that Sis-Tobar was located following assistance from the community, the victim’s brother Edgar Lopez was arrested on December 5 for allegedly lying to police about the murder.
The department said at the time that he admitted to lying about his knowledge of Sis-Tobar because he wanted to find the alleged killer himself, but MNPD said on Wednesday that its detectives uncovered evidence indicating, “Lopez helped Sis-Tobar in moving Lopez-Rivas’ body as well as rummaging through his pockets.”
In May, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced that it arrested 196 criminal illegal aliens during its joint operation with Tennessee Highway Patrol (THP) that was focused in Davidson County, and particularly South Nashville.
The Tennessee District Attorneys General Conference reported in January that Tennessee law enforcement and state prosecutors arrested or convicted nearly 3,000 illegal immigrants over the course of 2023, including 796 cases in Davidson County, where the sheriff’s office documents citizenship status on behalf of Nashville police. The report including 2024 data is scheduled to be released in January.
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Tom Pappert is a 2025 recipient of the Dao Prize and the lead reporter for The Tennessee Star. He also reports for the Star News Network. Follow Tom on X. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Rivaldo David Sis-Tobar” by Metro Nashville Police Department.
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