A Sterling man has been found not guilty of unlawful restraint and battery in connection with a September 2023 case that accused him of threatening five teenage boys and hitting one of them in the face,

After about 3½ hours of deliberation Aug. 14, a Whiteside County jury found Zachary J. Rivera not guilty of five counts of unlawful restraint and one count of battery, making physical contact, according to court documents.

Rivera, 37, from Sterling, was arrested Sept. 1, 2023, at his home after an investigation by the Whiteside County Sheriff’s Office, according to court documents

According to a news release from lead investigator Sheriff’s Detective Michael Leighton and court documents, Rivera was accused of holding the five boys under the threat of being shot in the 1000 block of Susan Court in Sterling for about 30 minutes on Aug. 4, 2023. All of them were 14 at the time but one, who turned 15 the day before.

The not-guilty verdict was returned after a three-day trial.