Police files released on the Jupiter Amber Alert issued for a 4-year-old boy in August reveal that the nanny arrested for his abduction was never involved in his disappearance.
The State Attorney's Office dropped charges against the nanny, Blanca Castro, in September. Now, we know why.
While providing her statement to police, the boy's step-grandmother, Elizabeth Caprio, told the detective that she and her sister took the child.
Caprio told police she had organized an intervention after she suspected that the boy's mother, her step-daughter Danielle Caprio, may have relapsed. She cancelled her business trip to Tampa and drove to Jupiter, having her sister meet her at the Jupiter townhome where Danielle and the boy were living, a home owned by Elizabeth and Louis Caprio.
Caprio said at the home, she discovered a suitcase with men's clothes belonging to a man that she and her husband had told Danielle to stay away from. Castro had also told the Caprios she was afraid of this man who she believed Danielle was dating. Elizabeth Caprio then told Castro to pack her things and leave, while the child was out with Elizabeth's sister.
When Danielle came home she said her son was gone and so was the nanny. She started to call the nanny and her father, but no one answered so she called police.
For hours police tried to contact the Caprios when the boy's mother told them she feared the nanny took him on her father's orders.
The detective on the case said Louis Caprio would not call her back and when he did, he only told them Dominic was safe. When police told him it was illegal to take the child, the police report said he told them 'do what you have to do.'
While making a statement to police after the boy was returned, he explained his actions.
"I did tell you Dominic is safe and I though, I said Liz, this is no longer about Dominic, this is going to become about you and me and I could feel that. And I knew I probably needed to talk to somebody and I should have, but I didn't know if I said something to you, it could have gotten myself or my wife in trouble," said Louis Caprio to the detective.
"If you had just done it the right way. That's what's so frustrating," said the detective. "You did it wrong."
"Truthfully, I had visions of police coming and grabbing Dominic," Elizabeth said.
During her interview with police, Elizabeth Caprio told the detective she left the boy's mother a note saying she had the boy. The detective said there was no note provided to them.
The boy's return was coordinated through the Caprios' attorney Douglas Duncan. The Jupiter Police Department has not said why no one is facing charges.
Police reports cite State Statute 787.03(4)(a), it is a viable defense, for the interference of custody/kidnapping statutes, that the defendant had reasonable cause to believe that his or her action was necessary to preserve the minor or the incompetent person from danger to his or her welfare.
