Deputies: Suncoast woman secretly housed missing teen, provided alcohol and drugs – NBC2
Francesco Abbruzzino, The Uncensored Report, LLC
CCSO
After housing and hiding a teenager who had been reported missing, a woman faces charges of interfering with the custody of a minor and contributing to delinquency.
Just before 10pm on February 10, Charlotte County deputies responded to Crossroads Hope Academy in Punta Gorda in reference to missing teenage boy. Deputies learned that the boy had been granted permission to go to South County Park, but he was unable to be located when staff attempted to retrieve him from the park later. It was also learned that the boy had been involved in an unreported incident earlier in the day that involved a volunteer by the name of Sherry J. Novelli (08/16/1963), who was in the process of attempting to adopt the teen. Following the incident, Novelli had been asked to leave Crossroads and no longer have contact with the youth in their care.
When deputies spoke with Novelli, she stated that the last time she had seen the boy was at South County Park, where she brought him food and he left.
The case was passed to a detective for further investigation. The detective made contact with Crossroads and learned that Novelli had purchased the boy’s cell phone and was providing the service for it. She had also opened a bank account in his name. When the detective contacted Novelli to discuss this, Novelli advised that she did not know where the boy was but suggested he may be in Tampa. She also wanted to know what steps were being taken to locate him. The detective arranged to meet with Novelli, but Novelli missed the meeting, rescheduling for later in the afternoon because she had a dentist appointment in Venice.
As the investigation continued, it was found that Novelli had already been to the CCSO Administration Office, seeking assistance with having the teen removed from Crossroads so she could help him with homeschooling, getting him to work, and continue her efforts to adopt him. She became upset when she was told she had no grounds to do this as she was not his legal guardian. Further investigation found that no steps had been taken for an actual legal adoption.
The teen’s phone was pinged, showing him to be in Venice. Recalling that Novelli had said she was going to a dentist appointment in Venice, the detective contacted several dental practices in that area to find where Novelli was receiving treatment and asked the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office for a deputy to check that location. The teen was located in Novelli’s car in the parking lot of that office. Both the teen and Novelli were taken into custody.
“Youth who are enrolled at Crossroads Hope Academy have already had a rough go of things. To further complicate their lives is not a ‘motherly’ thing to do, and it only further harms them. This woman made a series of poor choices, and it is clear that she is not what is best for this young man. I hope that her impact is not long-lasting and that he finds the right person to help him find his way. “
Sheriff Bill Prummell
While interviewing the teen, he admitted that he had planned to run away after he learned that Novelli would no longer be allowed to see him at Crossroads. The detective learned that Novelli had set the teen up in a condo and would come spend time with him there. She brought alcohol, cigarettes, and a marijuana vape pen for him, and the two would drink alcohol together there. She also provided him with a laptop as another means of communicating (along with the cell phone). When visiting, Novelli would use a code word when arriving to let him know it was her. The teen stated that there was no sexual relationship between him and Novelli.
Novelli provided a confession to the detective and was placed under arrest on charges of Interference with Child Custody and Contributing to the Delinquency or Dependency of a Child. She was transported to the Charlotte County Jail and has since bonded out.
