⚖️ PA v Javier Rivera regarding death of Charles Maston
Chester County Court of Common Pleas, Pennsylvania · November 9, 2026 criminal trial-list setting
Status: Scheduled proceeding — actual jury selection, openings and testimony must be verified after they occur. Charges are allegations and the defendant is presumed innocent.
01 / Case overview and current legal status
Javier Rivera faces first-, second- and third-degree murder charges and related robbery, burglary, aggravated-assault, theft, flight and resisting-arrest counts arising from the August 10, 2025 death of Charles Maston and an alleged sequence of vehicle thefts.
Next setting: Docket CP-15-CR-0002655-2025 appears on the November 9, 2026 Chester County criminal trial list before Judge Analisa Sondergaard. Calendar placement establishes a scheduled setting, not that a jury has been selected or evidence has begun.
02 / Courthouse and attorneys
Chester County Court of Common Pleas, Criminal Division, West Chester, Pennsylvania. Judge Analisa Sondergaard is listed on the November 9 trial calendar. Assigned trial prosecutors and defense counsel require confirmation from the operative docket.
03 / Victim background
Charles Maston was 69. Authorities say he confronted a person attempting to take a BMW from the driveway of his Kennett Township home and was fatally stabbed. Additional family-approved biographical information has not yet been located.
04 / People and documented roles
- Javier Rivera: defendant; presumed innocent.
- Charles Maston: 69-year-old victim and homeowner.
- Judge Analisa Sondergaard: judge listed on the county trial calendar.
- Chester County Detectives and Kennett Township Police: investigating agencies identified by the District Attorney.
05 / Chronological event-by-event timeline
- August 10, 2025 — Authorities allege Rivera attempted to steal a BMW from Maston’s driveway. Maston was fatally stabbed after confronting him.
- August 11, 2025 — Rivera was arrested at his Kennett Square residence and charged with first-degree murder and related offenses.
- 2025–2026 — The case proceeded under docket CP-15-CR-0002655-2025.
- November 9, 2026 — Official county trial-list setting; actual commencement remains to be confirmed.
06 / Investigation and evidence
Homicide allegations
The District Attorney’s charging release alleges Maston was stabbed in the torso and neck during an attempted vehicle theft. The autopsy, medical testimony and forensic testing must be authenticated at trial.
Vehicles, flight and witness evidence
Authorities further allege Rivera fled on foot, stole multiple vehicles, crashed one vehicle and returned to his residence in a stolen Honda CR-V. Witness accounts, vehicle records and surveillance remain allegations unless admitted and tested in court.
07 / Prosecution and defense positions
Prosecution: The state alleges a murder during an attempted vehicle theft followed by burglaries, additional vehicle thefts and flight.
Defense: No complete public defense theory has been reviewed. Identity, intent, causation and admissibility remain issues the defense may contest; this page will not attribute a position until it is documented.
08 / Trial testimony and courtroom developments
No trial testimony has been verified. Potential witness categories include residents who observed or confronted the alleged conduct, responding officers, vehicle owners, forensic personnel and the medical examiner. This is not a certified witness list.
Witness-status rule
Prospective witnesses are not italicized. Names will be italicized only after testimony is verified and placed under the correct trial date.
09 / Verdict, sentencing and appeals
No verdict, sentence or appeal outcome has been verified. The page will be updated chronologically as proceedings occur.
10 / Unresolved questions
- Has the November 9 setting remained operative?
- What evidence links the separate vehicle incidents to the homicide prosecution?
- What medical and forensic testimony will establish cause, manner and sequence?
- Which counts will be submitted to the jury?
11 / Court records and source documents
- Chester County — Judge Sondergaard criminal trial list.
- Chester County District Attorney — charging release.
- The Philadelphia Inquirer — August 11, 2025 report.
Source publication dates and calendar entries do not prove a scheduled proceeding occurred. Operative dockets, signed orders, admitted exhibits and certified transcripts remain controlling.