Man sentenced to life in prison following death, murder of ex-employer in Tulare County

TULARE COUNTY, Calif. (FOX26) — A man will now spend the rest of his life behind bars following the death and murder of a Tulare County dairyman back in 2019.

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According to the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office, Jorge Rivera, 29 of Visalia, was sentenced to 50 years to life on Wednesday after shooting and killing Anthony “Tony” Dragt on Sept. 9, 2019.

Officials say Rivera was a former employee of Dragt and was seen by witnesses the day of the shooting trying to find the victim.

The Tulare County District Attorney’s Office says Rivera shot Dragt multiple times at a dairy in the 10100 block of Avenue 352.

He was later found by investigators with the murder weapon, a 9mm handgun, along with an AR-15.

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Rivera was then arrested and later convicted of first-degree murder on Feb. 15, 2023.