INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — A 35-year-old man is suspected of threatening to kill a woman and burn down her trailer if she did not drop a court case against him, authorities said.
The man – identified as Jason Mammolito, told the woman, “I will kill you tonight,” reports show. The woman is Mammolito’s ex-girlfriend, authorities said.
Deputies on Tuesday arrested Mammolito on a variety of charges including tampering with a witness, aggravated assault and criminal mischief. Mammolito is being held at the Indian River County Jail without bond.
Deputies responded to a disturbance about 11 p.m. Tuesday at the woman’s home off U.S. 1 in Sebastian. The woman told deputies that Mammolito had earlier stopped by her home and threatened to kill her if she did not drop a pending court case against him, reports show.
Mammolito called the woman while she was still talking with deputies. When the woman put Mammolito on speaker phone, he told her, “I will not let you sleep, If I can’t have you, no one can,” reports show.
When the woman again refused to drop the court case, Mammolito told her, “I will burn your trailer down with you inside tonight,” reports show.
Deputies then began to comb the area to look for Mammolito. An hour later, the woman called deputies back and said Mammolito had just broke the back window to her trailer while she was still in bed, authorities said.
A sheriff’s helicopter spotted Mammolito hiding in a wooded area just west of the woman’s home, reports show. Mammolito initially did not follow deputies orders after they surrounded him, but eventually complied.
Deputies asked Mammolito why he was harassing the woman. Mammolito replied, “That’s my girl and I will not allow anyone else to be with her,” reports show.
Mammolito was arrested and taken to the county jail. Mammolito has an arraignment at 8:30 a.m. July 18, court records show.
Details on the court case were not immediately available.
