RICHMOND, Va. -- Nico Rivera, the 27-year-old Mechanicsville man charged with killing another man in the Scott's Addition neighborhood of Richmond, was granted bond during a Tuesday morning hearing.
Rivera, who is charged with second-degree murder in connection with the death of Jacob Baldwin, will remain jailed for now since the Richmond Commonwealth's Attorney's Office filed an appeal after the bond ruling. His bond appeal hearing is set for 9 a.m. on Oct. 23.
Both the prosecution and defense agreed Rivera, a VCU graduate who now works at Howmet Aerospace, threw a single punch.
Rivera, police said, punched Baldwin during an altercation along the 2800 block of West Marshall Street on October 12.
Baldwin struck his head when he fell to the ground and later died from his injuries, police said.
One week after the assault, and one day after police and Baldwin's parents and friends came forward urging those with information to come forward, Rivera turned himself in at Richmond Police Headquarters on Saturday, October 19.
Baldwin's family told CBS 6 they will continue their fight for justice.
"Whatever happened is a reversible act and our son’s not coming back," father Jeff Baldwin said. "People have to have consequences for their actions."
It was revealed in court on Tuesday that Jacob Baldwin and Nico Rivera randomly encountered each other in Scott’s Addition early on Saturday, October 12.
The Commonwealth’s Attorney played videos of their altercation captured on a stranger’s cell phone.
They say the first encounter happened when Baldwin tried to get into a group photo of Rivera and his friends.
When it appeared tensions dissipated, prosecutors allege an enraged Rivera attempted to fight Baldwin as a friend held him back.
They said Rivera then walked around someone and punched Baldwin in the eye causing Baldwin to fall back and hit his head.
"He’s worked in the restaurant business forever and is one that breaks up fights," Baldwin's mother Renee said outside of court. "That’s the reason Jacob had nothing wrong with his hands. Jacob didn’t touch that guy."
The James River High School and University of Mississippi graduate worked as a bartender at Wild Ginger Restaurant in Midlothian, his family said.
Baldwin was in Richmond to attend a wedding and later went to Scott's Addition for an after-party with friends.
The prosecution cited Rivera's criminal history, which included felony vandalism, and court-ordered anger management classes as reasons why the bond should be denied.
Dozens of Rivera’s friends and family stood in support during the bond hearing.
Rivera’s defense attorney handed the judge 50 letters of support for her client and urged the judge to grant the bond.
While granting the $15,000 bond, the judge said he could mitigate any danger to society by demanding Rivera adhere to a curfew and wear a GPS monitoring device.
Neither Rivera’s family nor his attorney commented when asked about the situation.
Rivera is due back in court for a preliminary hearing on December 5.
This is a developing story. Email the CBS 6 Newsroom if you have information to share.
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