LAKEWOOD — Javier Rigo Reveron, age 28, of Lakewood, OH, passed away unexpectedly in 2004.
He was born February 6, 1976, in Lorain, Ohio. He attended and graduated from Southview High School in 1994 and John Caroll University in 1999. While at Southview, Javier was elected to the National Honor Society, a member of the soccer team, golf team, and the Model UN. Also, Javi was an All-Star wrestler who was a member of the 1992 state runner-up team. During his time at John Carroll University, he was named freshman wrestler of the year, and held a position with the admissions office. After earning a Bachelor's Degree in Communications, Javier worked for Congressman Sherrod Brown in Washington D.C., Lorain City Schools (Whittier Jr. High), and Myers University.
Many of Javier's interests were Jiu-Jitsu, Kung-Fu, wrestling, golf, soccer, baseball, dancing, traveling, and meeting new people. Many of the friends he gained were during his time working with the County Auditor, Chez Francois Restaurant, Sal & Al's, Regal Cinemas, and trekking though Europe. During his baseball career, he played for several teams ranging from the minor league level to Class F. One standout achievement in baseball was being the starting catcher for the Lorain Burger-King All-Star team that played and won the State Tournament in the Cleveland Indian's stadium.
He is survived by his parents, Rigo and Judy (nee Velez) Reveron of Lorain; his sister, Anna (Jeff) Enders of Avon; a brother, Eric Reveron of Fort Lauderdale, Fla.; and uncle to 3 nieces, Alexa, Olivia, Isabella of Avon; a nephew Grant of Avon; and his beloved Schnauzer Merlin.
He was preceded in death by his paternal grandmother Manuela Gomez; paternal grandfather Rigoberto Reveron Sr.; maternal grandmother Ana Gonzalez; and maternal grandfather Juan Velez Lopez.
The family will receive friends on Saturday, June 19th, from 8 AM to until the time of the memorial Mass at 10 AM at Sacred Heart Chapel, 4301 Pearl Ave., Lorain. Rev. Fr. William Thaden will officiate. Burial will follow in Calvary Cemetery, Lorain.
Memorial contributions can be made to the Javier Reveron Memorial Fund, at any Fifth Third Bank.
The Dovin Funeral Home, 2701 Elyria Ave., Lorain, is handling the arrangements. To send online condolences, go to www.dovinfuneralhome.com.
(morningjournal.com - 6/16/10)
--------------------------------------------------------
LORAIN — A body pulled from the East River in New York in 2004 has been identified as a former Lorain man who disappeared after flying to New York City on a one-way plane ticket.
Lorain police Lt. James Rohner said the family of Javier Reveron, who disappeared Jan. 13, 2004, at the age of 27, was notified Tuesday that DNA collected from the body matched their son, whose DNA had been submitted to a national missing persons database.
Reveron was positively identified by the medical examiner's office in New York, Rohner said.
His father, Rigoberto Reveron, a former Lorain city councilman, said his family wasn't up to commenting on the news Wednesday.
In a news release, Rohner said an unidentified body pulled from the East River in New York on May 3, 2004, was matched to Javier Reveron thanks to a grant and DNA testing. The body, when found, was badly decomposed, and no identification could be made from tattoos, fingerprints or facial characteristics, police said.
Biological samples taken from the body were used to make a DNA comparison to Reveron, Rohner said, adding that Lorain detectives and Reveron's family never gave up investigating sightings and other leads in New York over the past six years. The problem was money.
"They get so many John and Jane Doe bodies in New York, they don't have the resources or the funds to test each one and submit it to the missing persons database," Rohner said. "(New York) received a grant last year and additional funding this year to do testing."
Lorain police were notified of the identification Tuesday, Rohner said.
The investigation when Reveron disappeared revealed he purchased a one-way ticket to New York and landed at LaGuardia Airport the same day his family reported him missing. He'visited with his family and left for his Lakewood, N.Y., home in the early morning hours of Jan. 13, Rohner said.
It was reported at the time of his disappearance that Reveron suffered from bipolar disorder.
The question of what happened to him remains.
Benjamin Figura, director of identification for the Chief Medical Examiner in New York, didn't return a call seeking comment.
"We don't know how he died,"
Rohner said. "All I know is cause of death is undetermined … He voluntarily left. He didn't touch any of his money or notify his employer. He wasn't answering his phone that day. All of those things his family said were uncharacteristic.
"It's just unfortunate the family had to go through all that uncertainty for so many years."
Contact Alicia Castelli at 329-7144 or [email protected].
(chronicle.northcoastnow.com - 4/8/10)
----------------------------------------
By MEGAN ROZSA
[email protected]
LORAIN — "Everybody loves Javier," a father said lovingly of his son who had been missing for six long years. "He was just a smiling, jovial, warm, friendly person."
Former Lorain Councilman Rigoberto Reveron and his wife, Judy, learned Tuesday that their son's body had been found in a New York City river shortly after he was reported missing, Jan. 13, 2004, but only recently identified. He was 27 years old and worked at Myers University in Cleveland. It is reported that he purchased a one-way plane ticket for New York City and made the flight on Jan. 13, 2004.
Rigo Reveron said he and his wife were in Central Michigan Tuesday when the Rev. William A. Thaden, of Sacred Heart Chapel, called to tell them about Javier.
"Our pastor from Sacred Heart called, but I ignored it the first time," Rigo Reveron said. "But then he was persistent and called again. We talked about game scores and then I said, ‘Father, are you calling about Javier?'"
Javier's body was recovered from the East River in New York on May 3, 2004, only four months after he had been reported missing. The Reverons said they had no idea, until Tuesday, that his body had been found.
Javier was buried in a New York cemetery as "John Doe." Recent improvements in DNA testing led the New York Medical Examiner's Office to send Javier's DNA to a laboratory in Texas, his father said. It came back as a match on Monday.
"I was somewhat angry, but understandably — there was no way to match the body to Javier," Rigo Reveron said of knowing how long ago his son's body was found. He added that Javier's body had been in the water for several weeks and was badly decomposed. A Superman tattoo on Javier's shoulder had washed away and his face was no longer recognizable, he said.
In the six years it took to find Javier, Judy and Rigo Reveron said they never lost hope that someday he would call or come home.
"Every day we would wake up and wonder where he is. Is he in a mental hospital? Is he begging on the streets?" Javier's father said. "There was a ray of light, a hope that he might call or we'll see him in the news or a friend in New York would tell me he was there."
Judy Reveron said her hope and faith kept her going day after day while her youngest son was gone.
"When I heard it was him, I was in disbelief. It's something that I never wanted to hear," she said. "But I always had hope and faith. When you have faith, you have everything."
She added that her son's mental illness sometimes made life difficult for him, but he never let it stand in his way.
"He was a really healthy-minded person," she said. "When you have a mental illness, it's hard. He needed to take his medicine."
It was reported that Reveron was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 2000. At the time of his disappearance, he had stopped taking his medication for roughly one year. His mother shared a story that stood out in her memory about how kind her son was.
"He was gathering up a bunch of apples and I said, ‘What are you going to do with all those apples?'" Judy Reveron said with a smile. "He said, ‘I'm going to give them to (DJ) Joey, that guy who stands on the corner of East 28th Street' (and Elyria Avenue). I asked him why and he said, ‘Maybe he's hungry.' ... That's how kind Javier was.'"
Javier's parents said his body will be brought home, but they didn't know how soon. Once he is home, he will have a proper Christian burial, they said.
Javier's father said it wasn't the news he and his wife wanted to hear, but at least now the family has closure.
"The Journal doesn't have enough pages to say all the wonderful things about Javier," his mother said. "He will be remembered as a wonderful human being. A loving person. He was friends to everybody."
(morningjournal.com - 4/8/10)
-----------------------------------------
By MEGAN ROZSA
[email protected]
LORAIN — A body recovered from a New York river in May 2004 has been identified as a missing former Lorain man Javier Reveron. He was reported missing in January 2004 by his parents, former Lorain Councilman Rigoberto Reveron and his wife, Judy.
The office of the chief medical examiner of New York City recently positively identified the remains as the missing 27-year-old man.
Reveron was reported missing on Jan. 13, 2004, after visiting his family in Lorain. Upon investigation, Lorain police detectives discovered the man had bought a one-way ticket to New York City and left that same day.
In the past six years, detectives followed numerous leads to find Reveron without much success. It is reported that Reveron was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 2000. At the time of his disappearance, he had been off of his medication for roughly a year.
In May 2004, a badly decomposed body was pulled from the East River in New York. No identification could be made on the body because of decomposition and detectives did not have the resources to conduct DNA testing on unidentified bodies.
In hopes that they would be able to do such research in the future, biological samples were taken from the body and he was buried as a "John Doe."
The Reveron family had updated the medical examiner's office about their son's physical characteristics and submitted items for a DNA data base.
Just recently, Reveron's family was contacted to say DNA software had been updated using recently obtained federal money. It was announced Tuesday that the remains were indeed Javier Reveron.
NYPD officials could not be reached for comment yesterday as to why it took so long to test Reveron's DNA.
At the time Javier was reported missing, he lived in Lakewood. A July 25, 2004, article in The Morning Journal, said he often drove to Lorain to visit his parents. The night before he flew to New York, he went to his parents' house for dinner.
He was to stay overnight, but had trouble sleeping, so he went back to Lakewood. Once home, he called his mother to say he was OK, and she said that was the last time she heard his voice.
"He told me, ‘Mom, I'm home,' and I told him ‘Javy, good night, I love you, God bless you,' and that is the last time I heard from him," Judy Reveron said in the article.
Javier was a 1994 Southview High School and 1998 John Carroll University graduate. He worked as an admissions representative at Myers University in Cleveland, his mother said.
In February 2004, Rigo and Judy Reveron wrote a letter to a Spanish language newspaper in New York called El Diario/La Prensa.
The paper published an article about Javier's disappearance. The article prompted a Queens store owner to call the Lorain Police Department because he saw Javier in his store.
The Morning Journal article said, "He described the man's appearance to be disheveled and said he appeared malnourished."
The man went on to describe Javier as wearing a "priest-type collar and had some type of photo ID card hanging around his neck." The man was holding a collections cup and asked for donations for a Catholic children's university.
After the store owner's sighting, the Reverons and two family friends drove to Queens to sweep the city. They never found their son.
(morningjournal.com - 4/8/10)
He was born February 6, 1976, in Lorain, Ohio. He attended and graduated from Southview High School in 1994 and John Caroll University in 1999. While at Southview, Javier was elected to the National Honor Society, a member of the soccer team, golf team, and the Model UN. Also, Javi was an All-Star wrestler who was a member of the 1992 state runner-up team. During his time at John Carroll University, he was named freshman wrestler of the year, and held a position with the admissions office. After earning a Bachelor's Degree in Communications, Javier worked for Congressman Sherrod Brown in Washington D.C., Lorain City Schools (Whittier Jr. High), and Myers University.
Many of Javier's interests were Jiu-Jitsu, Kung-Fu, wrestling, golf, soccer, baseball, dancing, traveling, and meeting new people. Many of the friends he gained were during his time working with the County Auditor, Chez Francois Restaurant, Sal & Al's, Regal Cinemas, and trekking though Europe. During his baseball career, he played for several teams ranging from the minor league level to Class F. One standout achievement in baseball was being the starting catcher for the Lorain Burger-King All-Star team that played and won the State Tournament in the Cleveland Indian's stadium.
He is survived by his parents, Rigo and Judy (nee Velez) Reveron of Lorain; his sister, Anna (Jeff) Enders of Avon; a brother, Eric Reveron of Fort Lauderdale, Fla.; and uncle to 3 nieces, Alexa, Olivia, Isabella of Avon; a nephew Grant of Avon; and his beloved Schnauzer Merlin.
He was preceded in death by his paternal grandmother Manuela Gomez; paternal grandfather Rigoberto Reveron Sr.; maternal grandmother Ana Gonzalez; and maternal grandfather Juan Velez Lopez.
The family will receive friends on Saturday, June 19th, from 8 AM to until the time of the memorial Mass at 10 AM at Sacred Heart Chapel, 4301 Pearl Ave., Lorain. Rev. Fr. William Thaden will officiate. Burial will follow in Calvary Cemetery, Lorain.
Memorial contributions can be made to the Javier Reveron Memorial Fund, at any Fifth Third Bank.
The Dovin Funeral Home, 2701 Elyria Ave., Lorain, is handling the arrangements. To send online condolences, go to www.dovinfuneralhome.com.
(morningjournal.com - 6/16/10)
--------------------------------------------------------
LORAIN — A body pulled from the East River in New York in 2004 has been identified as a former Lorain man who disappeared after flying to New York City on a one-way plane ticket.
Lorain police Lt. James Rohner said the family of Javier Reveron, who disappeared Jan. 13, 2004, at the age of 27, was notified Tuesday that DNA collected from the body matched their son, whose DNA had been submitted to a national missing persons database.
Reveron was positively identified by the medical examiner's office in New York, Rohner said.
His father, Rigoberto Reveron, a former Lorain city councilman, said his family wasn't up to commenting on the news Wednesday.
In a news release, Rohner said an unidentified body pulled from the East River in New York on May 3, 2004, was matched to Javier Reveron thanks to a grant and DNA testing. The body, when found, was badly decomposed, and no identification could be made from tattoos, fingerprints or facial characteristics, police said.
Biological samples taken from the body were used to make a DNA comparison to Reveron, Rohner said, adding that Lorain detectives and Reveron's family never gave up investigating sightings and other leads in New York over the past six years. The problem was money.
"They get so many John and Jane Doe bodies in New York, they don't have the resources or the funds to test each one and submit it to the missing persons database," Rohner said. "(New York) received a grant last year and additional funding this year to do testing."
Lorain police were notified of the identification Tuesday, Rohner said.
The investigation when Reveron disappeared revealed he purchased a one-way ticket to New York and landed at LaGuardia Airport the same day his family reported him missing. He'visited with his family and left for his Lakewood, N.Y., home in the early morning hours of Jan. 13, Rohner said.
It was reported at the time of his disappearance that Reveron suffered from bipolar disorder.
The question of what happened to him remains.
Benjamin Figura, director of identification for the Chief Medical Examiner in New York, didn't return a call seeking comment.
"We don't know how he died,"
Rohner said. "All I know is cause of death is undetermined … He voluntarily left. He didn't touch any of his money or notify his employer. He wasn't answering his phone that day. All of those things his family said were uncharacteristic.
"It's just unfortunate the family had to go through all that uncertainty for so many years."
Contact Alicia Castelli at 329-7144 or [email protected].
(chronicle.northcoastnow.com - 4/8/10)
----------------------------------------
By MEGAN ROZSA
[email protected]
LORAIN — "Everybody loves Javier," a father said lovingly of his son who had been missing for six long years. "He was just a smiling, jovial, warm, friendly person."
Former Lorain Councilman Rigoberto Reveron and his wife, Judy, learned Tuesday that their son's body had been found in a New York City river shortly after he was reported missing, Jan. 13, 2004, but only recently identified. He was 27 years old and worked at Myers University in Cleveland. It is reported that he purchased a one-way plane ticket for New York City and made the flight on Jan. 13, 2004.
Rigo Reveron said he and his wife were in Central Michigan Tuesday when the Rev. William A. Thaden, of Sacred Heart Chapel, called to tell them about Javier.
"Our pastor from Sacred Heart called, but I ignored it the first time," Rigo Reveron said. "But then he was persistent and called again. We talked about game scores and then I said, ‘Father, are you calling about Javier?'"
Javier's body was recovered from the East River in New York on May 3, 2004, only four months after he had been reported missing. The Reverons said they had no idea, until Tuesday, that his body had been found.
Javier was buried in a New York cemetery as "John Doe." Recent improvements in DNA testing led the New York Medical Examiner's Office to send Javier's DNA to a laboratory in Texas, his father said. It came back as a match on Monday.
"I was somewhat angry, but understandably — there was no way to match the body to Javier," Rigo Reveron said of knowing how long ago his son's body was found. He added that Javier's body had been in the water for several weeks and was badly decomposed. A Superman tattoo on Javier's shoulder had washed away and his face was no longer recognizable, he said.
In the six years it took to find Javier, Judy and Rigo Reveron said they never lost hope that someday he would call or come home.
"Every day we would wake up and wonder where he is. Is he in a mental hospital? Is he begging on the streets?" Javier's father said. "There was a ray of light, a hope that he might call or we'll see him in the news or a friend in New York would tell me he was there."
Judy Reveron said her hope and faith kept her going day after day while her youngest son was gone.
"When I heard it was him, I was in disbelief. It's something that I never wanted to hear," she said. "But I always had hope and faith. When you have faith, you have everything."
She added that her son's mental illness sometimes made life difficult for him, but he never let it stand in his way.
"He was a really healthy-minded person," she said. "When you have a mental illness, it's hard. He needed to take his medicine."
It was reported that Reveron was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 2000. At the time of his disappearance, he had stopped taking his medication for roughly one year. His mother shared a story that stood out in her memory about how kind her son was.
"He was gathering up a bunch of apples and I said, ‘What are you going to do with all those apples?'" Judy Reveron said with a smile. "He said, ‘I'm going to give them to (DJ) Joey, that guy who stands on the corner of East 28th Street' (and Elyria Avenue). I asked him why and he said, ‘Maybe he's hungry.' ... That's how kind Javier was.'"
Javier's parents said his body will be brought home, but they didn't know how soon. Once he is home, he will have a proper Christian burial, they said.
Javier's father said it wasn't the news he and his wife wanted to hear, but at least now the family has closure.
"The Journal doesn't have enough pages to say all the wonderful things about Javier," his mother said. "He will be remembered as a wonderful human being. A loving person. He was friends to everybody."
(morningjournal.com - 4/8/10)
-----------------------------------------
By MEGAN ROZSA
[email protected]
LORAIN — A body recovered from a New York river in May 2004 has been identified as a missing former Lorain man Javier Reveron. He was reported missing in January 2004 by his parents, former Lorain Councilman Rigoberto Reveron and his wife, Judy.
The office of the chief medical examiner of New York City recently positively identified the remains as the missing 27-year-old man.
Reveron was reported missing on Jan. 13, 2004, after visiting his family in Lorain. Upon investigation, Lorain police detectives discovered the man had bought a one-way ticket to New York City and left that same day.
In the past six years, detectives followed numerous leads to find Reveron without much success. It is reported that Reveron was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 2000. At the time of his disappearance, he had been off of his medication for roughly a year.
In May 2004, a badly decomposed body was pulled from the East River in New York. No identification could be made on the body because of decomposition and detectives did not have the resources to conduct DNA testing on unidentified bodies.
In hopes that they would be able to do such research in the future, biological samples were taken from the body and he was buried as a "John Doe."
The Reveron family had updated the medical examiner's office about their son's physical characteristics and submitted items for a DNA data base.
Just recently, Reveron's family was contacted to say DNA software had been updated using recently obtained federal money. It was announced Tuesday that the remains were indeed Javier Reveron.
NYPD officials could not be reached for comment yesterday as to why it took so long to test Reveron's DNA.
At the time Javier was reported missing, he lived in Lakewood. A July 25, 2004, article in The Morning Journal, said he often drove to Lorain to visit his parents. The night before he flew to New York, he went to his parents' house for dinner.
He was to stay overnight, but had trouble sleeping, so he went back to Lakewood. Once home, he called his mother to say he was OK, and she said that was the last time she heard his voice.
"He told me, ‘Mom, I'm home,' and I told him ‘Javy, good night, I love you, God bless you,' and that is the last time I heard from him," Judy Reveron said in the article.
Javier was a 1994 Southview High School and 1998 John Carroll University graduate. He worked as an admissions representative at Myers University in Cleveland, his mother said.
In February 2004, Rigo and Judy Reveron wrote a letter to a Spanish language newspaper in New York called El Diario/La Prensa.
The paper published an article about Javier's disappearance. The article prompted a Queens store owner to call the Lorain Police Department because he saw Javier in his store.
The Morning Journal article said, "He described the man's appearance to be disheveled and said he appeared malnourished."
The man went on to describe Javier as wearing a "priest-type collar and had some type of photo ID card hanging around his neck." The man was holding a collections cup and asked for donations for a Catholic children's university.
After the store owner's sighting, the Reverons and two family friends drove to Queens to sweep the city. They never found their son.
(morningjournal.com - 4/8/10)
LAKEWOOD — Javier Rigo Reveron, age 28, of Lakewood, OH, passed away unexpectedly in 2004.
He was born February 6, 1976, in Lorain, Ohio. He attended and graduated from Southview High School in 1994 and John Caroll University in 1999. While at Southview, Javier was elected to the National Honor Society, a member of the soccer team, golf team, and the Model UN. Also, Javi was an All-Star wrestler who was a member of the 1992 state runner-up team. During his time at John Carroll University, he was named freshman wrestler of the year, and held a position with the admissions office. After earning a Bachelor's Degree in Communications, Javier worked for Congressman Sherrod Brown in Washington D.C., Lorain City Schools (Whittier Jr. High), and Myers University.
Many of Javier's interests were Jiu-Jitsu, Kung-Fu, wrestling, golf, soccer, baseball, dancing, traveling, and meeting new people. Many of the friends he gained were during his time working with the County Auditor, Chez Francois Restaurant, Sal & Al's, Regal Cinemas, and trekking though Europe. During his baseball career, he played for several teams ranging from the minor league level to Class F. One standout achievement in baseball was being the starting catcher for the Lorain Burger-King All-Star team that played and won the State Tournament in the Cleveland Indian's stadium.
He is survived by his parents, Rigo and Judy (nee Velez) Reveron of Lorain; his sister, Anna (Jeff) Enders of Avon; a brother, Eric Reveron of Fort Lauderdale, Fla.; and uncle to 3 nieces, Alexa, Olivia, Isabella of Avon; a nephew Grant of Avon; and his beloved Schnauzer Merlin.
He was preceded in death by his paternal grandmother Manuela Gomez; paternal grandfather Rigoberto Reveron Sr.; maternal grandmother Ana Gonzalez; and maternal grandfather Juan Velez Lopez.
The family will receive friends on Saturday, June 19th, from 8 AM to until the time of the memorial Mass at 10 AM at Sacred Heart Chapel, 4301 Pearl Ave., Lorain. Rev. Fr. William Thaden will officiate. Burial will follow in Calvary Cemetery, Lorain.
Memorial contributions can be made to the Javier Reveron Memorial Fund, at any Fifth Third Bank.
The Dovin Funeral Home, 2701 Elyria Ave., Lorain, is handling the arrangements. To send online condolences, go to www.dovinfuneralhome.com.
(morningjournal.com - 6/16/10)
--------------------------------------------------------
LORAIN — A body pulled from the East River in New York in 2004 has been identified as a former Lorain man who disappeared after flying to New York City on a one-way plane ticket.
Lorain police Lt. James Rohner said the family of Javier Reveron, who disappeared Jan. 13, 2004, at the age of 27, was notified Tuesday that DNA collected from the body matched their son, whose DNA had been submitted to a national missing persons database.
Reveron was positively identified by the medical examiner's office in New York, Rohner said.
His father, Rigoberto Reveron, a former Lorain city councilman, said his family wasn't up to commenting on the news Wednesday.
In a news release, Rohner said an unidentified body pulled from the East River in New York on May 3, 2004, was matched to Javier Reveron thanks to a grant and DNA testing. The body, when found, was badly decomposed, and no identification could be made from tattoos, fingerprints or facial characteristics, police said.
Biological samples taken from the body were used to make a DNA comparison to Reveron, Rohner said, adding that Lorain detectives and Reveron's family never gave up investigating sightings and other leads in New York over the past six years. The problem was money.
"They get so many John and Jane Doe bodies in New York, they don't have the resources or the funds to test each one and submit it to the missing persons database," Rohner said. "(New York) received a grant last year and additional funding this year to do testing."
Lorain police were notified of the identification Tuesday, Rohner said.
The investigation when Reveron disappeared revealed he purchased a one-way ticket to New York and landed at LaGuardia Airport the same day his family reported him missing. He'visited with his family and left for his Lakewood, N.Y., home in the early morning hours of Jan. 13, Rohner said.
It was reported at the time of his disappearance that Reveron suffered from bipolar disorder.
The question of what happened to him remains.
Benjamin Figura, director of identification for the Chief Medical Examiner in New York, didn't return a call seeking comment.
"We don't know how he died,"
Rohner said. "All I know is cause of death is undetermined … He voluntarily left. He didn't touch any of his money or notify his employer. He wasn't answering his phone that day. All of those things his family said were uncharacteristic.
"It's just unfortunate the family had to go through all that uncertainty for so many years."
Contact Alicia Castelli at 329-7144 or [email protected].
(chronicle.northcoastnow.com - 4/8/10)
----------------------------------------
By MEGAN ROZSA
[email protected]
LORAIN — "Everybody loves Javier," a father said lovingly of his son who had been missing for six long years. "He was just a smiling, jovial, warm, friendly person."
Former Lorain Councilman Rigoberto Reveron and his wife, Judy, learned Tuesday that their son's body had been found in a New York City river shortly after he was reported missing, Jan. 13, 2004, but only recently identified. He was 27 years old and worked at Myers University in Cleveland. It is reported that he purchased a one-way plane ticket for New York City and made the flight on Jan. 13, 2004.
Rigo Reveron said he and his wife were in Central Michigan Tuesday when the Rev. William A. Thaden, of Sacred Heart Chapel, called to tell them about Javier.
"Our pastor from Sacred Heart called, but I ignored it the first time," Rigo Reveron said. "But then he was persistent and called again. We talked about game scores and then I said, ‘Father, are you calling about Javier?'"
Javier's body was recovered from the East River in New York on May 3, 2004, only four months after he had been reported missing. The Reverons said they had no idea, until Tuesday, that his body had been found.
Javier was buried in a New York cemetery as "John Doe." Recent improvements in DNA testing led the New York Medical Examiner's Office to send Javier's DNA to a laboratory in Texas, his father said. It came back as a match on Monday.
"I was somewhat angry, but understandably — there was no way to match the body to Javier," Rigo Reveron said of knowing how long ago his son's body was found. He added that Javier's body had been in the water for several weeks and was badly decomposed. A Superman tattoo on Javier's shoulder had washed away and his face was no longer recognizable, he said.
In the six years it took to find Javier, Judy and Rigo Reveron said they never lost hope that someday he would call or come home.
"Every day we would wake up and wonder where he is. Is he in a mental hospital? Is he begging on the streets?" Javier's father said. "There was a ray of light, a hope that he might call or we'll see him in the news or a friend in New York would tell me he was there."
Judy Reveron said her hope and faith kept her going day after day while her youngest son was gone.
"When I heard it was him, I was in disbelief. It's something that I never wanted to hear," she said. "But I always had hope and faith. When you have faith, you have everything."
She added that her son's mental illness sometimes made life difficult for him, but he never let it stand in his way.
"He was a really healthy-minded person," she said. "When you have a mental illness, it's hard. He needed to take his medicine."
It was reported that Reveron was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 2000. At the time of his disappearance, he had stopped taking his medication for roughly one year. His mother shared a story that stood out in her memory about how kind her son was.
"He was gathering up a bunch of apples and I said, ‘What are you going to do with all those apples?'" Judy Reveron said with a smile. "He said, ‘I'm going to give them to (DJ) Joey, that guy who stands on the corner of East 28th Street' (and Elyria Avenue). I asked him why and he said, ‘Maybe he's hungry.' ... That's how kind Javier was.'"
Javier's parents said his body will be brought home, but they didn't know how soon. Once he is home, he will have a proper Christian burial, they said.
Javier's father said it wasn't the news he and his wife wanted to hear, but at least now the family has closure.
"The Journal doesn't have enough pages to say all the wonderful things about Javier," his mother said. "He will be remembered as a wonderful human being. A loving person. He was friends to everybody."
(morningjournal.com - 4/8/10)
-----------------------------------------
By MEGAN ROZSA
[email protected]
LORAIN — A body recovered from a New York river in May 2004 has been identified as a missing former Lorain man Javier Reveron. He was reported missing in January 2004 by his parents, former Lorain Councilman Rigoberto Reveron and his wife, Judy.
The office of the chief medical examiner of New York City recently positively identified the remains as the missing 27-year-old man.
Reveron was reported missing on Jan. 13, 2004, after visiting his family in Lorain. Upon investigation, Lorain police detectives discovered the man had bought a one-way ticket to New York City and left that same day.
In the past six years, detectives followed numerous leads to find Reveron without much success. It is reported that Reveron was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 2000. At the time of his disappearance, he had been off of his medication for roughly a year.
In May 2004, a badly decomposed body was pulled from the East River in New York. No identification could be made on the body because of decomposition and detectives did not have the resources to conduct DNA testing on unidentified bodies.
In hopes that they would be able to do such research in the future, biological samples were taken from the body and he was buried as a "John Doe."
The Reveron family had updated the medical examiner's office about their son's physical characteristics and submitted items for a DNA data base.
Just recently, Reveron's family was contacted to say DNA software had been updated using recently obtained federal money. It was announced Tuesday that the remains were indeed Javier Reveron.
NYPD officials could not be reached for comment yesterday as to why it took so long to test Reveron's DNA.
At the time Javier was reported missing, he lived in Lakewood. A July 25, 2004, article in The Morning Journal, said he often drove to Lorain to visit his parents. The night before he flew to New York, he went to his parents' house for dinner.
He was to stay overnight, but had trouble sleeping, so he went back to Lakewood. Once home, he called his mother to say he was OK, and she said that was the last time she heard his voice.
"He told me, ‘Mom, I'm home,' and I told him ‘Javy, good night, I love you, God bless you,' and that is the last time I heard from him," Judy Reveron said in the article.
Javier was a 1994 Southview High School and 1998 John Carroll University graduate. He worked as an admissions representative at Myers University in Cleveland, his mother said.
In February 2004, Rigo and Judy Reveron wrote a letter to a Spanish language newspaper in New York called El Diario/La Prensa.
The paper published an article about Javier's disappearance. The article prompted a Queens store owner to call the Lorain Police Department because he saw Javier in his store.
The Morning Journal article said, "He described the man's appearance to be disheveled and said he appeared malnourished."
The man went on to describe Javier as wearing a "priest-type collar and had some type of photo ID card hanging around his neck." The man was holding a collections cup and asked for donations for a Catholic children's university.
After the store owner's sighting, the Reverons and two family friends drove to Queens to sweep the city. They never found their son.
(morningjournal.com - 4/8/10)
He was born February 6, 1976, in Lorain, Ohio. He attended and graduated from Southview High School in 1994 and John Caroll University in 1999. While at Southview, Javier was elected to the National Honor Society, a member of the soccer team, golf team, and the Model UN. Also, Javi was an All-Star wrestler who was a member of the 1992 state runner-up team. During his time at John Carroll University, he was named freshman wrestler of the year, and held a position with the admissions office. After earning a Bachelor's Degree in Communications, Javier worked for Congressman Sherrod Brown in Washington D.C., Lorain City Schools (Whittier Jr. High), and Myers University.
Many of Javier's interests were Jiu-Jitsu, Kung-Fu, wrestling, golf, soccer, baseball, dancing, traveling, and meeting new people. Many of the friends he gained were during his time working with the County Auditor, Chez Francois Restaurant, Sal & Al's, Regal Cinemas, and trekking though Europe. During his baseball career, he played for several teams ranging from the minor league level to Class F. One standout achievement in baseball was being the starting catcher for the Lorain Burger-King All-Star team that played and won the State Tournament in the Cleveland Indian's stadium.
He is survived by his parents, Rigo and Judy (nee Velez) Reveron of Lorain; his sister, Anna (Jeff) Enders of Avon; a brother, Eric Reveron of Fort Lauderdale, Fla.; and uncle to 3 nieces, Alexa, Olivia, Isabella of Avon; a nephew Grant of Avon; and his beloved Schnauzer Merlin.
He was preceded in death by his paternal grandmother Manuela Gomez; paternal grandfather Rigoberto Reveron Sr.; maternal grandmother Ana Gonzalez; and maternal grandfather Juan Velez Lopez.
The family will receive friends on Saturday, June 19th, from 8 AM to until the time of the memorial Mass at 10 AM at Sacred Heart Chapel, 4301 Pearl Ave., Lorain. Rev. Fr. William Thaden will officiate. Burial will follow in Calvary Cemetery, Lorain.
Memorial contributions can be made to the Javier Reveron Memorial Fund, at any Fifth Third Bank.
The Dovin Funeral Home, 2701 Elyria Ave., Lorain, is handling the arrangements. To send online condolences, go to www.dovinfuneralhome.com.
(morningjournal.com - 6/16/10)
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LORAIN — A body pulled from the East River in New York in 2004 has been identified as a former Lorain man who disappeared after flying to New York City on a one-way plane ticket.
Lorain police Lt. James Rohner said the family of Javier Reveron, who disappeared Jan. 13, 2004, at the age of 27, was notified Tuesday that DNA collected from the body matched their son, whose DNA had been submitted to a national missing persons database.
Reveron was positively identified by the medical examiner's office in New York, Rohner said.
His father, Rigoberto Reveron, a former Lorain city councilman, said his family wasn't up to commenting on the news Wednesday.
In a news release, Rohner said an unidentified body pulled from the East River in New York on May 3, 2004, was matched to Javier Reveron thanks to a grant and DNA testing. The body, when found, was badly decomposed, and no identification could be made from tattoos, fingerprints or facial characteristics, police said.
Biological samples taken from the body were used to make a DNA comparison to Reveron, Rohner said, adding that Lorain detectives and Reveron's family never gave up investigating sightings and other leads in New York over the past six years. The problem was money.
"They get so many John and Jane Doe bodies in New York, they don't have the resources or the funds to test each one and submit it to the missing persons database," Rohner said. "(New York) received a grant last year and additional funding this year to do testing."
Lorain police were notified of the identification Tuesday, Rohner said.
The investigation when Reveron disappeared revealed he purchased a one-way ticket to New York and landed at LaGuardia Airport the same day his family reported him missing. He'visited with his family and left for his Lakewood, N.Y., home in the early morning hours of Jan. 13, Rohner said.
It was reported at the time of his disappearance that Reveron suffered from bipolar disorder.
The question of what happened to him remains.
Benjamin Figura, director of identification for the Chief Medical Examiner in New York, didn't return a call seeking comment.
"We don't know how he died,"
Rohner said. "All I know is cause of death is undetermined … He voluntarily left. He didn't touch any of his money or notify his employer. He wasn't answering his phone that day. All of those things his family said were uncharacteristic.
"It's just unfortunate the family had to go through all that uncertainty for so many years."
Contact Alicia Castelli at 329-7144 or [email protected].
(chronicle.northcoastnow.com - 4/8/10)
----------------------------------------
By MEGAN ROZSA
[email protected]
LORAIN — "Everybody loves Javier," a father said lovingly of his son who had been missing for six long years. "He was just a smiling, jovial, warm, friendly person."
Former Lorain Councilman Rigoberto Reveron and his wife, Judy, learned Tuesday that their son's body had been found in a New York City river shortly after he was reported missing, Jan. 13, 2004, but only recently identified. He was 27 years old and worked at Myers University in Cleveland. It is reported that he purchased a one-way plane ticket for New York City and made the flight on Jan. 13, 2004.
Rigo Reveron said he and his wife were in Central Michigan Tuesday when the Rev. William A. Thaden, of Sacred Heart Chapel, called to tell them about Javier.
"Our pastor from Sacred Heart called, but I ignored it the first time," Rigo Reveron said. "But then he was persistent and called again. We talked about game scores and then I said, ‘Father, are you calling about Javier?'"
Javier's body was recovered from the East River in New York on May 3, 2004, only four months after he had been reported missing. The Reverons said they had no idea, until Tuesday, that his body had been found.
Javier was buried in a New York cemetery as "John Doe." Recent improvements in DNA testing led the New York Medical Examiner's Office to send Javier's DNA to a laboratory in Texas, his father said. It came back as a match on Monday.
"I was somewhat angry, but understandably — there was no way to match the body to Javier," Rigo Reveron said of knowing how long ago his son's body was found. He added that Javier's body had been in the water for several weeks and was badly decomposed. A Superman tattoo on Javier's shoulder had washed away and his face was no longer recognizable, he said.
In the six years it took to find Javier, Judy and Rigo Reveron said they never lost hope that someday he would call or come home.
"Every day we would wake up and wonder where he is. Is he in a mental hospital? Is he begging on the streets?" Javier's father said. "There was a ray of light, a hope that he might call or we'll see him in the news or a friend in New York would tell me he was there."
Judy Reveron said her hope and faith kept her going day after day while her youngest son was gone.
"When I heard it was him, I was in disbelief. It's something that I never wanted to hear," she said. "But I always had hope and faith. When you have faith, you have everything."
She added that her son's mental illness sometimes made life difficult for him, but he never let it stand in his way.
"He was a really healthy-minded person," she said. "When you have a mental illness, it's hard. He needed to take his medicine."
It was reported that Reveron was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 2000. At the time of his disappearance, he had stopped taking his medication for roughly one year. His mother shared a story that stood out in her memory about how kind her son was.
"He was gathering up a bunch of apples and I said, ‘What are you going to do with all those apples?'" Judy Reveron said with a smile. "He said, ‘I'm going to give them to (DJ) Joey, that guy who stands on the corner of East 28th Street' (and Elyria Avenue). I asked him why and he said, ‘Maybe he's hungry.' ... That's how kind Javier was.'"
Javier's parents said his body will be brought home, but they didn't know how soon. Once he is home, he will have a proper Christian burial, they said.
Javier's father said it wasn't the news he and his wife wanted to hear, but at least now the family has closure.
"The Journal doesn't have enough pages to say all the wonderful things about Javier," his mother said. "He will be remembered as a wonderful human being. A loving person. He was friends to everybody."
(morningjournal.com - 4/8/10)
-----------------------------------------
By MEGAN ROZSA
[email protected]
LORAIN — A body recovered from a New York river in May 2004 has been identified as a missing former Lorain man Javier Reveron. He was reported missing in January 2004 by his parents, former Lorain Councilman Rigoberto Reveron and his wife, Judy.
The office of the chief medical examiner of New York City recently positively identified the remains as the missing 27-year-old man.
Reveron was reported missing on Jan. 13, 2004, after visiting his family in Lorain. Upon investigation, Lorain police detectives discovered the man had bought a one-way ticket to New York City and left that same day.
In the past six years, detectives followed numerous leads to find Reveron without much success. It is reported that Reveron was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 2000. At the time of his disappearance, he had been off of his medication for roughly a year.
In May 2004, a badly decomposed body was pulled from the East River in New York. No identification could be made on the body because of decomposition and detectives did not have the resources to conduct DNA testing on unidentified bodies.
In hopes that they would be able to do such research in the future, biological samples were taken from the body and he was buried as a "John Doe."
The Reveron family had updated the medical examiner's office about their son's physical characteristics and submitted items for a DNA data base.
Just recently, Reveron's family was contacted to say DNA software had been updated using recently obtained federal money. It was announced Tuesday that the remains were indeed Javier Reveron.
NYPD officials could not be reached for comment yesterday as to why it took so long to test Reveron's DNA.
At the time Javier was reported missing, he lived in Lakewood. A July 25, 2004, article in The Morning Journal, said he often drove to Lorain to visit his parents. The night before he flew to New York, he went to his parents' house for dinner.
He was to stay overnight, but had trouble sleeping, so he went back to Lakewood. Once home, he called his mother to say he was OK, and she said that was the last time she heard his voice.
"He told me, ‘Mom, I'm home,' and I told him ‘Javy, good night, I love you, God bless you,' and that is the last time I heard from him," Judy Reveron said in the article.
Javier was a 1994 Southview High School and 1998 John Carroll University graduate. He worked as an admissions representative at Myers University in Cleveland, his mother said.
In February 2004, Rigo and Judy Reveron wrote a letter to a Spanish language newspaper in New York called El Diario/La Prensa.
The paper published an article about Javier's disappearance. The article prompted a Queens store owner to call the Lorain Police Department because he saw Javier in his store.
The Morning Journal article said, "He described the man's appearance to be disheveled and said he appeared malnourished."
The man went on to describe Javier as wearing a "priest-type collar and had some type of photo ID card hanging around his neck." The man was holding a collections cup and asked for donations for a Catholic children's university.
After the store owner's sighting, the Reverons and two family friends drove to Queens to sweep the city. They never found their son.
(morningjournal.com - 4/8/10)
Gravesite Details
**Was buried as a "John Doe" in NY, will be reinterred in OH.**
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