Police: Man traps four people in home by drilling door shut

SEBASTIAN — A 32-year-old man who police said drilled a door shut – trapping four people inside a home – was jailed last week.

Christopher Eugene Amoretti
PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY INDIAN RIVER COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE

Christopher Eugene Amoretti, of the 900 block of Louisiana Avenue, Sebastian, was charged with three counts of false imprisonment, felony possession of methamphetamine, resisting arrest without violence and trespassing. Amoretti was held Wednesday at the Indian River County Jail on $22,500 bond.

Amoretti unscrewed the door just before Sebastian police arrived, reports show.

Sebastian police responded to reports of a disturbance shortly after 2 p.m. June 10 at Amoretti’s home, where he lived with his ex-girlfriend. Police said the ex-girlfriend called officers and said Amoretti drilled the locks and that the door would not open.

The woman told police she came back home earlier after staying at a hotel for a few days. The woman found her property thrown in the dirt outside and her son’s room destroyed, reports show.

The woman was inside the home with her 8-year-old son, her friend and another person who was not identified because they wished not to be involved, reports show. Police said Amoretti became angry that four people were in the residence.

Officers said Amoretti “took a drill and used a screw to secure the door closed to prevent anyone from leaving the residence.” Police said the door was the only way in-and-out of the home.

Officers said the people in the home said something to the effect of “please don’t do this.” The woman’s friend showed police a video she filmed on her cell phone that shows Amoretti drilling the door closed, reports show.

Police said they saw a hole in the door frame where there once was a screw. Officers also saw a drill, about 5-to-10 feet away from the door, laying on the ground.

Amoretti denied the claims against him.

Police arrested Amoretti and booked him into the county jail. Amoretti was ordered to not have contact with the woman, her son and her friend, court records show.

Amoretti has an arraignment at 8:45 a.m. July 22, court records show.

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