- October 31, 2024
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A felon and domestic violence offender who allegedly threatened threatened the life of a local woman tracked her to a domestic violence shelter May 7, entering the shelter's property and then driving his vehicle back and forth in front of it while the shelter called the Flagler County Sheriff's Office.
"We contacted law enforcement to have him trespassed, and then he proceeded to drive up and down the road, calling and harassing the victim, coming in and out of the building, just really being scary to the victims that we have staying at the shelter," said Trish Giaccone, CEO of the Family Life Center.
Deputies responding to the emergency call arrived at the Family Life Center and interviewed the victim, who said she'd been in a 20-year relationship with the Dominic Petrillo, 52, according to an FCSO news release.
She told them that on May 6, she and Petrillo had been in an argument at their home on Avocado Boulevard in Bunnell, and he'd held her against the wall, pressing his arm and fist against her throat. Then he'd gotten a shotgun and pointed it at her, saying he was going to put a bullet in her head, she said.
Deputies noted in a report that she had bruising that supported her account.
Petrillo is charged with aggravated domestic battery by strangulation, aggravated domestic assault, domestic battery, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, according to the news release.
It's not the first time an offender has showed up at the Family Life Center trying to harass a victim, Giaccone said.
"It’s one of the difficulties of the work that we do," she said. The shelter isn't an island, she said, so it can't stop an offender from driving back and forth in front of the building.
But, she said, "The reality is that our shelter is secure. ... With law enforcement's quick response, and even showing up before something happens — they monitor our neighborhood on a consistent basis — our residents feel pretty safe, and we are still open to receive any victim who is in need of emergency shelter."
The Family Life Center provides support to individuals and families involved in domestic violence situations, and has a 24-hour crisis hotline that can be reached at 386-437-3505.
“Getting out of an abusive relationship is not easy, but help is available,” Sheriff Rick Staly said, according to the news release. “The victim’s advocates at the Sheriff’s Office and the Family Life Center partner with victims of domestic violence. I urge anyone in a violent relationship to seek help. Protect yourself by getting out.”
