Camden man found guilty in 2012 child murder, rape

CAMDEN (WPVI) -- A Camden man has been found guilty on all charges in the murder of a young boy and the rape of his older sister.

Amber Andujar woke up on her 12th birthday to every child's worst nightmare. A monster was on top of her with a knife to her neck and his hand over her mouth.

Today, a Camden County jury here made sure that monster will never see the outside of a prison cell again.

The mother of the victims, Debbie Burgols, said today, "I'm relieved that this man is finally going to pay for what he did to my son and my daughter."

It happened the night of September 12th, 2012.

Osvaldo Rivera, who was 31 at the time, broke into this house on Ware Street. 12-year-old Amber Andujar was asleep on the couch. Her 14-year-old sister was babysitting while their mother spent the night in the hospital.

Rivera has now been convicted of raping Amber and slashing her throat twice with a knife as she tried to break free.

During the commotion, her 6-year-old brother Domenic came into the room and started screaming, trying to help his sister. Rivera slashed his throat and left him for dead.

Amber managed to run to a neighbor's house for help.

Rivera was found later that day hiding behind a mattress at a house a few blocks away. Today the jury found him guilty on all eleven counts ranging from first degree murder to burglary.

Normally, we don't reveal the names and images of sexual assault victims, and children who are victims of crime. But Amber and her mother want the world to see they are standing tall, extraordinary survivors.

Amber, who spent two months in the hospital, declined to speak, but showed us the scars left by the knife wounds to her neck.

Her mother says she is in school and doing well.

"She's doing great. She's doing great. She's a survivor. She's strong. She's a survivor," Burgols said.

Now that Rivera has been convicted, the prosecutor will be seeking a life sentence. That sentencing is tentatively set for October 23rd.