A missing toddler's mother and a group of her comrades screamed at the child's father during a court hearing in which he pleaded guilty to violating a different indictment.
Justin DiPietro, father of missing child Ayla Reynolds, was charged on Wednesday for violating conditions of his release for assault, the Associated Press reported.
Following his arraignment, DiPietro exited the Portland courthouse with his court-appointed lawyer. The child's mother, Trista Reynolds, along with a group of her supporters, ran out of the room after him.
DiPietro and lawyer Gerard Conley, Jr. shot into a nearby police station, as the crowd closed in. About a dozen of Reynolds' supporters shouted names and insults at DiPietro, calling him a "murderer."
"Where's Ayla?" they demanded, as DiPietro cast his glance downward, not replying until he ultimately ran away. Reynolds and her father chased after him.
Ayla Reynolds, who has been missing since December 11, is thought to be dead at this point. Reynolds said on Monday that she is convinced that DiPietro is to blame. Trista told Maine news service News Center that she saw blood in DiPietro's house, car and on his shoes. She stated that she'd make these details public so that people would stress prosecution.
Justin's mother, Pheobe DiPietro, released a statement on Tuesday saying that she and her family were still hoping that Ayla would be found alive.
"Trista can say and do what she wants," she wrote in the statement. "To the best of my knowledge, [police] have not confirmed her allegations nor stated that she has been cleared as a suspect herself. I believe that the focus should remain on finding Ayla. Once Ayla is found, then, and only then, will I think about justice. Justice is served only when all facts and evidence are known and presented in a court of law."
