WATERVILLE, Maine — The tension surrounding the search for missing toddler Ayla Reynolds continued Monday with a violent altercation in Waterville that resulted in an assault summons against Lance DiPietro, who is Ayla’s uncle.
Meanwhile, the effort to keep the search for Ayla in the public eye spread to Pennsylvania and New Jersey, where missing children organizations have posted information about the missing girl on nine billboards.
Waterville Police Deputy Chief Charles Rumsey said Tuesday that police were called shortly after noon on Monday by 27-year-old Justin Linnell of Waterville. According to Rumsey, Linnell was walking along College Avenue at about 12:15 p.m. when Lance DiPietro rode by in a vehicle driven by his brother, Justin DiPietro, who is Ayla’s father. Lance DiPietro later told police that Linnell shouted something at the DiPietros which caused Justin DiPietro to pull his vehicle over in a parking lot.
Lance DiPietro, 27, of Waterville, exited the vehicle with a miniature novelty baseball bat and began an argument with Linnell, according to Rumsey.
“The verbal altercation escalated into an assault,” said Rumsey. Lance DiPietro allegedly threw the baseball bat to the ground and began fighting with Linnell. Linnell, who Rumsey said was knocked down and kicked in the face by Lance DiPietro, suffered a laceration on the back of his head and contusions on his face. Linnell refused medical attention at the scene but was later treated and released at an area hospital.
Linnell reported the incident to police and Waterville Patrol Officer Steven Brame responded. After speaking to Linnell, Brame interviewed both of the DiPietros and subsequently charged Lance DiPietro with assault. Lance DiPietro is scheduled to appear in Waterville District Court on April 17. Justin DiPietro was not charged and was not involved in the fight, said Rumsey.
Linnell is the father of the DiPietro’s niece, Gabrielle, who Linnell fathered with Elisha DiPietro. Elisha, who is one of the three adults who police say was present at 29 Violette Avenue in Waterville on the night before Ayla was reported missing, is Justin and Lance’s sister. Rumsey said the altercation stemmed from a “family dispute” over Gabrielle, though he wouldn’t go into details.
“I don’t think this involved Ayla,” said Rumsey.
This is at least the third time police have been called to incidents involving the DiPietros in recent weeks. On Friday at about 11:15 p.m., police responded to the Violette Avenue home after the owner, Phoebe DiPietro — who is Justin, Lance and Elisha’s mother — reported that someone had smashed windows from outside the house, sending glass flying into the home. No one was injured and Rumsey said Tuesday that no one has been charged in connection with that incident.
The home is where Justin DiPietro was staying when he reported Ayla missing on Dec. 17.
The DiPietros also called police on another day when they saw a bright light shining through their window, but it turned out to be a reporter taping a segment from the street.
Rumsey said patrols near the DiPietro home have been increased because of those incidents, which he said is normal procedure.
“We increase patrols whenever we have any kind of incident like that,” said Rumsey, who added that the department has received calls from more than a dozen media organizations about the fight between Linnell and Lance DiPietro.
The intense spotlight on the search for Ayla has also attracted the attention of organizations called LostNMissing, Inc. and the Laura Recovery Center, which are responsible for eight billboards in Philadelphia and one in New Jersey near New Meadowlands Stadium. Each of the billboards has Ayla’s photograph, a notice about $30,000 in reward money that has been offered for information leading to her discovery, and phone numbers for people to call with information. Cynthia Caron, founder and president of New Hampshire-based LostNMissing, said Tuesday her organization is also distributing and posting fliers and posting information on social media sites in an attempt to generate leads in the search for Ayla.
“We started working on this right away, as soon as we heard that Ayla had disappeared,” said Caron. “If she was abducted, she could be anywhere. We want to have those billboards up until the evidence strongly suggests otherwise.”
The group is also working to install billboards in New Hampshire and Boston.
Police have said they don’t believe Ayla was abducted and that they suspect the three adults in the Violette Avenue home on Dec. 16 and 17 — Justin and Elisha DiPietro and Courtney Roberts, who is DiPietro’s girlfriend — have not told the whole truth about what happened that night. All three have maintained their innocence throughout the investigation. Police have also said they found the then-20-month-old toddler’s blood in the basement of the home.
Caron said use of the billboards, which have digital screens that can be quickly changed, was donated by Steen Outdoor Advertising and Interstate Billboard Advertising. Caron said full rent on a billboard like that can cost tens of thousands of dollars per month. Caron’s organization is also distributing information through posters and the Internet about 33-year-old Jason Reil, a Brunswick man with schizophrenia who has been missing since late January.
“If anybody has any information at all, they need to call police, no matter how trivial it may seem,” said Caron.
Anyone with information about the whereabouts of Reynolds or Reil is asked to call Maine State Police at 624-7076 or by dialing 911.
To view the billboard, click here.
wow , I can’t believe this is happening. A 20 month old disaapears and NOBODY knows anythng? Right!!
OOO those adults who were in that home that night know something…..you just do not wake up a baby with her crying or making noise without anyone in the house knowing. And then her blood if found in the basement. She didn’t walk down there herself and do it. The father is now not talking anymore to reporters, why? he was all about finding his daughter, now we here nothing from him…..guess he doesn’t want to find her anymore.
If DiPietro would lie about seeing a fight to which he was present, what else would he LIE about?
“Justin DiPietro said he was unaware of the fight. “I didn’t see anything that happened,” he said. “We didn’t discuss what had happened.” DiPietro said he didn’t learn about the incident until police questioned him at home.”
THESE GUYS ARE SOME PIECES OF WORK. I’d still like to see an “AYLA IS MISSING” billboard near 29 Violette Avenue, Waterville Maine.
NONE OF THESE PEOPLE RELATED TO THIS CASE LOOK THE LEAST BIT UPSET OR WORRIED. I WOULDNT BE ABLE TO SLEEP AT NIGHT THEY SEEM TO BE GETTING BY JUST FINE
Anybody else wish the BDN would just do a family tree? This is only going to get more confusing as time goes on.
Justin should not have stopped the car. More bad judgement on his behalf. Surprized they did not charge him with something.
He must of thought that his brother wanted to give the guy a hug!
Look at all those comments removed . Do I smell censorship?
You bet. These people have been treated with kid gloves for too long.
Maybe the comment itself is, “comment removed”?
I need a spread sheet to keep track of these people and their antics. I think they’re starting to crank up the heat under their own feet now that everybody else is turning the thumb screws tighter. Sooner or later, one of them is going to break and spew out the truth. It’s a matter of time. tick, tock.
Getting back on case.. I think it is wonderful that other states are reaching out to help find Ayla. I think it is very unfortunate though that other states are getting involved. Kind of a bag of mixed emotions on this, but loving the feeling that other states do care.
This is the first I have heard of a brother, where have they been keeping him hid?
I cannot BELIEVE Linnell’s child’s name was published in this story!! Bad on BDN, the child is innocent and her name should not be put out there for all to see.
I hope the kid doesn’t get teased in school or end up with bad effects from having to read their innocent name in the paper. I am no media ethics major but I am sure there are good attorneys that are. The childs name has no business being in this story.
The kid is only 18 months old…not in school yet and won’t be for many years. Sad to say but everyone that she would go to school with would already know this story and who her family is. That said I do believe that the childs name should not have been printed, but this isn’t the first time I’ve read her name (first anyway) the only name not given has been Courtney’s child.
Well most of us already knew her name anyway. I knew her name was Gabby early on, so this was not new info.
Please know that I am not trying to sound callous or minimize this baby girl’s disapearance in any way. It’s a terrible, horrible situation, and somone needs to tell what has gone on, and be brought to justice for it. But I’m wondering why it is that out of the thousands of children that go missing in the US each year, only a handful of them are given as much publicity as little Ayla has gotten? Is it mere circumstances surrounding the case? Is it the family who pushes to have the media involved or not at all involved? Is it something that a local news team deems “newsworthy” or not so much? I don’t understand it.
I don’t know. I hear what you’re saying and I have thought about it myself. I have drawn the conclusion that because this happened in Maine and I live in Maine, that’s ALL we have heard on the news from the local stations. I think it is probably a similar experience for the locals in any state that have a child go missing.
If you type in the name of newspapers across the United States, you will find the story of Alya’s
disappearance. It has been picked up from AP and has never stopped making the headlines.
I think the family’s behaviors have something to do with that, as well as the concern for the child.
That very well could be the case. As I have said from the start, Ayla’s mother has been damned no matter what she does. She goes on news reports all the time and people say she’s more focused on getting herself famous in the media than the girl. If she doesn’t go on the news, she doesn’t care. I mean, she can’t win. Truth is, you could be quite right that the family’s heavy involvement with the media may be what is making this story so big across the states.
Ayla’s disappearance has been on the national news as well as Nancy Grace repeatedly since it all started, so it certainly is being well broadcast not only here in Maine, but nationwide. Why, then, isn’t it this way for every child who has mysteriously disappeared? Why only a chosen few? It baffles me.
very few children are kidnapped by strangers in the US. Less than 1 %. In this case, the father’s initial reluctance to polygraph or even plead for his child’s return caught media’s attention. The deception itself was the story.
And the mother refused to complete the polygraph test. suspicious.
That is patently false. The polygrapher stopped the test themselves. They said she could not complete it due to a medical conditon. And please, aren’t we past this crap about Trista being involved? I think you are a troll and that no one else should answer you again after this. I wish there were an “ignore” function, but we are going to operate just as if there is one. Consider yourself IGNORED.
The mother’s involvement was when she gave up custody for drugs, but it stopped there. Under DiPietro, she has had unexplained bruises and injuries, a broken arm, and then her spilled blood was found in his home. Your veiled attempt to blame Reynolds is weak. Police didn’t even want her to polygraph. She did it to provoke Justin, the coward who refused to speak out. My question to you: who is pulling the strings? Is it Courtney, or is Justin this stupid to keep on lying?
She didn’t give up custody for drugs. She sought help for alcohol addiction while she was getting that help Justin took Ayla from her maternal grandmothers care in which Trista had safely placed her.
Ayla is getting attention because she is a beautiful blond baby with blue eyes. There are many minority children, or older children who aren’t as cute that don’t get much media attention.
No, most missing kids are missing because a non-custodial parent took them. This thing where a very small child, not yet two years old, disappeared ostensibly from her own bed at the hands of a stranger, is always going to get loads of attention. Now, we all feel in our bones that did not happen, but you are correct in that minority children get short shrift when they are a stranger abduction. It’s wrong, it’s completely unfair and we as a public and citizens of this country need to do something to fix it. All children are precious and they all deserve this level of attention when they go missing mysteriously.
She is a child who was taken or something from her home, she’s from Maine so we’re hearing a lot about it. It wouldn’t matter what her hair color, skin color or if she is cute or ugly — she’s a child. your making it about race this is so wrong of you. I haven’t in the last seven weeks read one post that directly or indirectly said anything about race — do you have a problem with a child being looked for? Should no one talk about Ayla because she happens to be blonde, blue eyed and white?
I am not wrong to point out that National media coverage favors, white children. This is the truth and there is no harm in making this statement as uncomfortable as it may make people feel. She would naturally get local coverage, but she has made national news.
“For a missing child
to attract widespread publicity and improve the odds of being found, it
helps if the child is white, wealthy, cute and under 12. ” http://www.capitolhillblue.com/artman/publish/article_7711.shtml
Here’s a journal article:
“This research explores race and gender – related selection bias in national television news coverage of missing children’s cases. When the proportions of race and gender from the news coverage of five national television stations between 2005 and 2007 were compared to official missing children statistics, it was found that African American missing children and female missing children were significantly underrepresented in television news coverage. ..”
http://rowan.academia.edu/JohnFeaster/Papers/887502/Missing_Children_in_National_News_Coverage_Racial_and_Gender_Representations_of_Missing_Children_Cases
http://www.mediaite.com/tv/cnn-report-do-missing-white-babies-get-more-media-coverage-than-minorities/
From Marc Klass:
Early Show” co-anchor Erica Hill remarked, “There’s criticism that
it’s the the missing white children and missing white adults,
specifically, women, who receive attention. Is that an accurate
criticism? Marc Klaas, president of the KlaasKids Foundation,
said that’s “absolutely” an accurate criticism. He added, “There are
other kinds of biases, as well. There’s an age bias — certainly the
younger kids get much more attention than the older kids — and a gender
bias. You see much more attention being paid to girls than you do to
boys.”
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/10/10/earlyshow/living/parenting/main20118068.shtml
Have to remember also, Maine is made up of mostly white people, is just how this state is. When we go to Ga to see family, their news shows black children missing.. also look at the milk cartons, they are all made up of all colored skin, whether it be white, yellow, black, it doesn’t matter.. All children are an asset to this country, and if lost it just not hurts the family and friends, it hurts us all…
I agree and know Maine is mostly white, but there is bias against race and gender when it comes to national media coverage. I see the milk cartons and the missing children flyers at stores. It is sad that all children are not valued equally.
She is getting attention here because she is a MAINE child, and she is covered by Maine media. You can cry and boo hoo and “oh there is some kind of conspiracy here because this baby is blonde and blue eyed” but don’t sell that stuff here. I don’t think you will have many buyers.
Tjones4 – Maine’s papers also makes news out of lost livestock, so no doubt she is getting coverage because she is in Maine. What I am referring to is more of a national news phenomena in which only certain children and compelling stories make headline news. Do some research and you will see what I’m talking about.
I’m guessing it’s because she is from WATERVILLE MAINE, where this kind of stuff doesn’t usually happen. True Mainers like to take care of their own. AND a squeaky wheel always gets the grease.
I don’t think that is true at all.. I know there are some cold cases, but sooner or later they will be found..
,,
Agreed, but i was replying to the commenter who was wondering why some kids get more coverage than other missing children. She was referring to nationally not locally. (see her question below)
Marlee94 “But I’m wondering why it is that out of the thousands of children that go missing in the US each year, only a handful of them are given as much publicity as little Ayla has gotten?”
Then read my comment listing information concerning race and gender media bias when it comes to missing children’s cases. I think the problem the commenters have with my truthful statement is that they are assuming I am talking local media and not national media.
In Maine Ayla isn’t newsworthy because of her race, but because of her mysterious disappearance.
…..
We don’t see many missing children in Maine. I would expect any missing Maine child to receive this type of attention in the press.
Maine People have heart, we may not be a rich state, but by God, our Children are priceless. Maine people all connect to each other, if one has bread, and another has peanut butter, and one more has the jelly… all 3 families eat.. Maine people are strong willed, they work hard for what they have. If someone needs help, Mainers will reach out. Right now we are reaching out for Ayla, we will find her one way or the other…
Seems like a bunch of Keystone Cops running the investigation…
What a dysfunctional family, if you can call them that, all the way…..and it just continues
WHY wasn’t Justin charged with assault also??!!! He drove the car! He controlled whether a crime would be committed. I would be demanding he be charged if I was that guy. If you drive a murderer to a murder scene, a burglar to a burglary, you are just as guilty! This is nuts!
Correction me in me, they aren’t talking…they know…oh someone knows something.
read this
http://www.pressherald.com/news/aylas-uncle-says-he-got-into-fight-to-protect-my-family_2012-02-08.html
“I just wanted to confront him and maybe have a war of words,” Lance DiPietro said. “It’s pretty unfortunate that things escalated the way they did.”.. how does anyone get out of a car with a bat and then make a comment like this?
Justin saying he didn’t see anything?!!! My god, what a pathetic liar. Broad daylight?! Yeah, sure.
He certainly saw him well enough to drive his brother right up next to him. Kind of weird, wonder what Justin thought his brother was going to do with this little bat. Lance is saying he wanted to have a war of words — why bring a bat to a contest of words? Just wondering…
And.. does anyone see anything wrong with this statement…. “Obviously, the situation that I’m in, it’s not going to help anything by him going out and doing that,” he said. Nothing about how this doesn’t help find Ayla, it’s about HIM.
Lance wants to be the person to protect his family — NOW! Why not before Ayla went missing?
Justin Dipietro reminds me of the trio of monkeys. See No Evil, Speak No Evil, Hear No Evil.
A comment in the article said Rumsey thought the fight didn’t have anything to do with Ayla???? Of course it did, if even indirectly. Maybe this Linnell is afraid the same thing that happened to Ayla will happen to his daughter.
This child isn’t missing. She is hidden.
I wish but I don’t think so police know more than what they are saying.
All missing children are hidden. Caylee Anthony was hidden, too. To term a person not responsible at all for their own choices who didn’t leave of their own accord “missing” is too ironic. She is not missed by any adult in that home who knows what went down that day/night. She is hidden by them, for better or worse.
The Kennebec County Grand Jury meets today and tomorrow…wonder if arrests are coming soon.
I have been looking forward to this development. I’ll be on pins and needles until we see what they are going to do, if anything. I’m sure everyone understands that no indictment may come of it, which would be highly disappointing. Nothing to do but wait now.
Doesn’t sound like it…
The first day the investigating detectives retrieved evidence from the house, and if there were soiled diapers among the items;
1…. could a lab determine how long the diapesr were there? and if it belonged to Ayla? just curious!!
I hate to say it but I wonder if LE has had a look at the Linnell Family…..aka the Depalma’s. Justin Linnell is related to Gregory Depalma who happens to be a lifetime registrant on ME’s sex offender list??? You never know, maybe JL knows a little more than he’s letting on….
Grasp at straws much? He hasn’t been near that house in some time; he can’t even see his own kid let alone sneak into that house and take Ayla in the middle of the night. And if you hate to say it why did you? Not even a remote possibility.
I guess you know what the whole town is up to these days huh? I suppose you stood out front of Justin’s house in the dead of night to see what happened the night Ayla went missing? I wouldn’t like to cross anyone off the list yet as the “evidence” the police apparently have can’t convict any “one” particular person. The police have said that themselves. As for me grasping at straws, I’m not stupid enough to be tricked by the cunning. I know that the most charming of people can be two-faced and commit the most heinous of crimes. Until the police have solid evidence, no matter how bad it looks for certain individuals, I will not point my finger at any person. As for my comment above, I was merely opining on an aspect that I would hope LE would look at as well as any other known criminals/offenders instead of ignoring them because they believe they have the suspect in sight & that has happened in many a case throughout history. & many cases such as this have had sex offenders commit crimes like this. Why would it even be unusual to check out a lead that is so closely connected to the Dipietro’s? Or are you simply offended because he’s a friend or an acquaintance? Your comment “not even a remote possibility” makes you sound like you could be bedfellows. I’d watch my choice of words.
Your very defensive towards someone who has a criminal history yet completely offensive to someone who has yet to be proven guilty. Smells like someone who suffers from hypocrisy. Instead of intensely commenting on this here list, perhaps you should do more for Ayla such as: stop typing & get out of your chair and help in a more realistic way instead of trying to insult & my opinion wont change unless you provide sound evidence or logic. You cannot definitively say 110% that you KNOW who is guilty so let LE do their job instead of pretending to do it for them. If they had appropriate evidence someone would be sitting in prison right now.
Whatever. Are we back to the “a ninja did it” theory, though the cops have come out and said there was no break-in? Oh, and if Linnell was going to break in and take a kid why wouldn’t he take his own kid? With the order of protection against him it’s a stretch to believe he even knew Ayla was in that house. Nobody went into the house, not Trista, not Justin Linnell, not a total stranger, not the Easter Bunny and not Santa Claus. The person who did something to Ayla was already in that house, end of story. Unfortunately, nothing more can be done for Ayla, but perhaps something can be done for little Gabby. She’s the one I’m worried about now. She is at risk, IMO. If DHHS want to do the right thing this time then they should get that baby out of that house before something bad happens to her. And I’m done with you.
I’m sure the police have looked into the whereabouts of all the registered sex offenders in the area. Nice to try in insinuatate someone else is to blame — read the stories, the police have ruled out an intruder “taking” Alya so why even bring this up — oh wait we need to make sure that we minimize that Justin and his brother are a couple thugs by bring up that this Linnell guy has a relative twice removed who is on this list.
Here is a question for everyone? Before the question, I have no idea what happened to this poor little girl. I also have an opinion and hope for the best. All I have to go by is what I read in the news articles (not the comments). The question. However this case works out, how many of you will apologize for your comments if this family is cleared of this offense?