Deputies Arrest Husband, Associate in Murder of Wife’s Lover

Deputies have arrested a husband in the shooting death of his wife’s lover, an Orlando man, whose body was found by a passer-by near Sweet Pea Court in Poinciana in February.  A co-conspirator in the murder was also arrested on Wednesday, Polk County Sheriff’s deputies said.

41-year-old Manuel Ayala was arrested at his home in Kissimmee yesterday and charged with murder and conspiracy to commit murder in the shooting death of 44-year-old George “Teddy” Rivera, the lover of his wife, Michelle Rosado.

Ayala’s co-conspirator and paid associate, 36-year-old Julio Morales-Rivera (no relation to the victim), was also arrested in in Bridgeport Connecticut during the early morning hours today, with the assistance of U.S. Marshals, Polk County Sheriff’s deputies said.

George “Teddy” Rivera’s decomposing body was discovered on February 7, near Sweet Pea Court in Poinciana, in an undeveloped wooded area, by a man walking his dog. He had been reported missing by his wife on January 10, 2011.

Autoposy results revealed that “Teddy” Rivera had been shot four times with a handgun, twice in the head and twice in the back.

Authorities said, the victim’s birthday was January 9, and “Teddy” Rivera was to have met his mistress, Alaya’s wife, Michelle Rosado in the afternoon and later have dinner with his family that evening. He did not show up for either.

Ayala was aware of the affair between his wife and Rivera, investigators said. On January 4th, prior to the murder, Ayala saw his wife, Michelle Rosado, driving his car with the victim in the car with her. He called his wife on his cell phone and told her to pull over. They pulled into a convenience store on Orange Blossom Trail. Ayala then fought with Rivera.

During the investigation, detectives learned that Ayala and Morales-Rivera were associates and both men were in the Poinciana area at the time of the murder.

Detectives also learned that, between January 6-8, Morales-Rivera told friends he was about to do “something big” and that he would be “paid a lot of money” and would be moving to Connecticut.

“Detectives arrested a jealous husband and his paid associate,” said Sheriff Grady Judd. “We knew the victim once worked at Ayala’s business, that the victim was having an affair with Ayala’s wife, and that because of the affair between the victim and Ayala’s wife, Ayala beat, bribed and threatened to kill the victim.”

This is an ongoing investigation.