Man admits to fatally stabbing his girlfriend, 23, in Moreno Valley

RIVERSIDE — A convicted felon pleaded guilty Wednesday to first-degree murder for fatally stabbing his 23-year-old girlfriend for unexplained reasons at his Moreno Valley home.

Ricardo Rivera, 28, admitted the charge under a plea agreement with the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office, just as a jury was being assembled for his trial at the Riverside Hall of Justice.

In exchange for his admission, prosecutors agreed to drop a sentence-enhancing allegation of using a deadly weapon in the commission of a felony.

Superior Court Judge Jason Armand scheduled a sentencing hearing for June 7. The prosecution and defense stipulated a term of 25 years to life in state prison for the defendant.

Rivera is being held without bail at Byrd Detention Center in Murrieta.

He murdered Ashley Brosious of Moreno Valley on the afternoon of Jan. 17, 2019, at his residence in the 23100 block of Denver Court, near Adeline Avenue.

Deputies were initially called to the location to investigate reports of a woman in need of medical aid, according to Riverside County Sheriff’s Department Sgt. Ben Ramirez.

“Upon arrival, (deputies) located a deceased female with obvious signs of trauma,” Ramirez said.

Rivera was at the house and taken into custody without incident, Ramirez said.

A knife, later identified as the murder weapon, was seized inside the residence.

The probationer and Brosious had been romantically involved for an unspecified period prior to the deadly attack, for which there was no explanation.

According to court records, Rivera had a prior conviction for domestic violence. The victim in that 2017 case was someone other than Brosious, records showed.