What happened to Savannah Soto's brother, Ethan Soto? Video of family attacking brother's alleged killer in court surfaces

Eighteen-year-old pregnant Texas teen Savannah Soto, who was found dead on Tuesday, had lost her brother Ethan Soto in a shooting incident last year.

A video in connection with Ethan's murder surfaced online in the wake of Savannah’s death. The Soto family is said to be already coping with Ethan’s death.

Victor Nathaneal Rivas, 18 is the prime suspect in his death, accused of murdering Savannah Soto’s brother to avenge Ethan’s alleged robbery of THC cartridges from him. It was alleged that Rivas shot Ethan at his family home but could not injure him then.

Later, Ethan’s mother, met Rivas to pay for the stolen cartridges. Victor Nathaneal Rivas denied this interaction, though. It was said that he later spoke to an underage girl on Instagram, asking her to plan a drug deal with Ethan Soto.

An affidavit said that Rivas stated multiple times about his search for the robber and his intention to catch them once he saw them. The minor and Ethan arranged a meet-up as per the plan, and Rivas allegedly ambushed him from there and shot him multiple times. Ethan was rushed to hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries.

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Video of Savannah Soto's family attacking brother's alleged killer in court surfaces

Savannah Soto's brother, Ethan Soto was killed on May 16, 2022. Victor Nathaneal Rivas, his suspected murderer was arrested in October last year.

During a Bexar County courtroom trial in October of this year, a brawl broke out between Rivas and the Soto family members. When he was brought to the stand, he allegedly made a provoking gesture towards Ethan's family, leading several of the deceased teen’s relatives to charge at Rivas.

One male relative jumped the railing and started beating Rivas, and soon three others followed suit. The altercation that took place in front of other inmates, lasted more than 30 seconds before two court bailiffs intervened and separated everyone.

The four Soto family relatives involved in the fight — two teenagers and two men were later arrested on charges of assault and disrupting court proceedings. Ron Rangel, the administrative judge at the Bexas County criminal district courts said at the time:

"You think about courtrooms, you’re bringing in victims of violent crimes with people that are accused of committing those violent crimes, so often times courtrooms can become powder kegs. One little spark can ignite."

The preceding judge in Savannah Soto's brother's case was compelled to hit the panic button in the courtroom after the melee had broken out. Judge Rangel said that the people involved in the fight who will be charged are likely to be allowed to attend court hearings in the future.

According to the affidavit of Ethan's case, Rivas said that he intended to shoot Soto, but that he did not do it nor would he have done it over a dispute of $60. When Savannah Soto's brother was shot, a witness told police about seeing a man fleeing the scene by driving off in a likely golden Jaguar with a red hood.

Rivas reported the theft of his car, which matched the description given by the witness. The gold Jaguar was later found on the West Side, near an IHOP restaurant.

However, phone records showed that the car was not stolen but was ditched after an hour of the shooting. Police said that Rivas had asked a friend to help him find a new car.

Although it's unclear whether Savannah Soto was among the relatives who attacked Rivas in the courtroom in October, some people online are speculating that it might have some connection with her death.

The pregnant teen was found dead alongside her boyfriend, Matthew Guerra, 22 inside his gray Kia Optima in San Antonio. They were last seen on Friday, December 22, which was a day before Savannah’s labor was scheduled to be induced under medical supervision.