A California mother of seven was found dead inside her ex-boyfriend’s home after going there to visit the two young children they shared, authorities said.
Tatyana Riley, 30, who was also known by her family as “Alison,” was reported missing on Aug. 4 after relatives suddenly lost contact with her.
Her ex-boyfriend, Jeffrey Michaels, was later identified by Fresno police as the suspect in her killing.
Michaels turned himself in on Aug. 6 and was arrested on a murder charge, according to the Fresno Police Department.
Police said Riley had gone to Michaels’ home that day to visit their two children.
Fresno Police Chief Mindy Casto said Riley’s family became alarmed after she stopped responding to calls and messages and failed to pick up another daughter from school later that afternoon.
Riley’s sister, Alizabeth Lopez, told KFSN that the family last heard from her around 1 p.m., shortly after she arrived at Michaels’ home.
“We think that he baited her; they weren’t there,” Lopez alleged.
In a GoFundMe created to help Riley’s children and cover funeral expenses, her sister similarly wrote that Riley had been stopping by to visit her two youngest children when “suddenly everyone lost contact with her.”
Riley’s mother, Liberty Lopez, told the Fresno Bee that she last spoke with her daughter at 12:06 p.m. that day. Riley’s phone was later turned off.
Hours later, Riley’s Fiat was discovered abandoned in an orchard.
Surveillance footage obtained by KFSN reportedly showed Riley’s vehicle being followed by Michaels’ white truck.
Riley was formally reported missing at about 7:45 p.m. on Aug. 4.
Officers searched several locations before detectives with Fresno Police Department’s Domestic Violence Unit determined that Riley’s last known location was a home on East Grove Avenue.
Police obtained a search warrant and entered the residence.
Inside, officers found Riley dead.
Police said no one else was inside the home when the warrant was served, but homicide investigators found evidence that “a disturbance had occurred inside the residence.”
Two young children connected to the home were found safe and accounted for.
Casto said Riley was discovered in the garage with multiple lacerations to her upper body. Those injuries caused her death.
Investigators believe Michaels left Fresno in a borrowed vehicle following the killing.
Police tracked him to the Salinas area using license plate reader technology, according to Casto.
A detective eventually established communication with Michaels and persuaded him to return to Fresno and surrender.
As of an Aug. 7 police briefing, investigators had not recovered the weapon allegedly used in Riley’s killing.
Police said Riley and Michaels had a troubled relationship and a documented history of domestic violence.
Riley’s family also said she had expressed fear about Michaels before her death.
According to her sister, Riley once sent their mother a chilling message about what could happen to her.
“She had texted my mom saying … if I ever get harmed just know he did it,” Alizabeth told KFSN.
The message reportedly made family members immediately suspicious when Riley suddenly disappeared.
Alizabeth also told the Fresno Bee that she had frequently heard Riley and Michaels arguing during the previous year when she lived next door.
“He was a scary man,” she said.
Michaels had failed to appear for his arraignment twice as of Aug. 14, according to the Fresno Bee.
He was being held in an observation cell at the Fresno County Jail because officials believed he could pose a danger to himself.
Fresno County Superior Court Judge Ryan I. Wells said he planned to review Michaels’ mental health status and determine whether he would need to be physically removed from his cell to appear in court.
Michaels had not entered a plea as of Aug. 14.
About 10 of Riley’s friends and relatives reportedly attended both scheduled arraignments.
After Michaels failed to appear for a second time, Riley’s mother publicly criticized him.
“I think he’s just being a coward,” Liberty told the Fresno Bee. “He doesn’t want to see everybody. He’s afraid to face the fact that he did this. But he needs to show his face and stop being a coward.”
In a Facebook tribute, Liberty said Riley’s children were safe and promised that the family would continue attending court hearings, leaving flowers and keeping Riley’s memory alive.
Riley’s loved ones remembered her as a devoted mother, sister and friend who especially loved Disneyland.
Her family said they now want answers and accountability.
“We just want answers,” Alizabeth said. “Ultimately that’s the goal. We want justice for our sister.”
