Spotted for the first time since the arrest of American teenager Gabriel Natale-Hjorth, his father and grandfather return home from the beach where the murder suspect played as a child.
Anguished father Fabrizio Natale arrived at the resort home by bicycle at lunchtime Friday, which grandfather Giuseppe Natale had unlocked just moments earlier.
The pair went into the imposing two-story building, which is protected by thick metal gates and hidden by tall trees, where grandfather Giuseppe, 84, a retired businessman, lives.
The family declined to discuss the case when approached by DailyMail.com.
Father of American teenager Gabriel Natale-Hjorth was spotted for first time since his arrest
Gabriel Natale-Hjorth, 18, (left) and Finnegan Lee Elder, 19, are accused of stabbing Deputy Brigadier Mario Cerciello Rega to death on Friday in Rome
Fabrizio Natale arrived at the resort home where the murder suspect played as a child at lunchtime Friday
Grandfather Giuseppe Natale, 84, unlocked a gate moments before the father got there by bicycle
The villa is in the Fregenae beach resort, about 20 miles of north of the Italian city of Rome
But in an earlier statement father Fabrizio said ‘we are all fully convinced about his [Gabriel] innocence.’
The villa in Fregenae – a beach resort less than 20 miles of north of Rome – could soon also become the home of murder suspect Gabriel Natale-Hjorth while he awaits trial.
Lawyers acting for the family have called on Italian judges to release the 18-year-old from jail and transfer him to house arrest at his grandfather’s home.
A relative from Puglia shared about the case: ‘We still have to make sense of what happened. We don’t want to talk about it’
The family declined to discuss the case when approached by DailyMail.com but in an earlier statement father Fabrizio said: ‘We are all fully convinced about his innocence’
Hot-shot attorney Francesco Petrelli has submitted an application to the Italian courts to review the charges against his client and claims it is not necessary to hold Natale-Hjorth in custody.
The lawyer says the 18-year-old has already been put through a terrifying ordeal, citing the illegal blindfolding and handcuffing by police officers during his initial interrogation.
Gabriel was brought to Italy every year as a child by his father Fabrizio, where he spent three weeks staying with his grandfather in Fregenae.
Retired businessman Giuseppe is originally from the Puglia region of southern Italy, is a respected member of the resort’s middle class community
Giuseppe was once the president of the local sailing association and one man, Gianni, who taught Gabriel to sail, said: ‘I’m incredibly upset Gabriel was such a good. He was an able sportsman, shy but full of life’
Villa could soon also become the home of murder suspect Natale-Hjorth while he awaits trial
Natale-Selvaggi name plaques are seen outside the home Friday as all eyes are on the family
The youngster learned to speak basic Italian, took up sailing and played on the dark-sand beach for hours on end.
His grandfather, Giuseppe, who is originally from the Puglia region of southern Italy, is a respected member of the resort’s middle class community and was once the president of the local sailing association.
One man, Gianni, who taught Gabriel to sail, said: ‘I’m incredibly upset Gabriel was such a good. He was an able sportsman, shy but full of life.
One man, Gianni, who taught Gabriel to sail, said: ‘I’m incredibly upset Gabriel was such a good. He was an able sportsman, shy but full of life’. Pictured is the beach in Fregenae, near to where Giuseppe Natale lives
This picture was released by Italian Carabinieri during a press conference in Rome on Tuesday. It shows the knife used to stab Rega early Friday
Finnegan, 19, (left) told police he stabbed Italian police officer Rega because he thought the officer was going to strangle him on Friday while he interrupted a drug deal gone wrong. During questioning, Gabriel was seen blindfolded and chained in a police station
Another, Marco, from the Arcobaleno beach club, said: ‘Gabriel used to come to the beach club.’
A relative from Puglia added: ‘We still have to make sense of what happened. We don’t want to talk about it.’
Prosecutors say Elder has confessed to knifing Rega (pictured) 11 times. The officer later died at a local hospital
Gabriel has always maintained that he did not know that his High School friend Finnegan Elder had a knife and unaware that the officer had been killed until after his arrest.
Undercover policeman Mario Cerciello Rega died from a stab wound to the heart last Friday, a leaked copy of the autopsy report has revealed.
He suffered 11 injuries – mostly to the sides of his flanks and stomach – which were as deep as the length of the seven-inch blade of the Marine-style knife that Elder used during his frenzied attack.
Meanwhile father Ethan Elder, 61, visited his 19-year-old son Finnegan for a second time today.
The wealthy businessman Elder has assembled a war cabinet of US and Italian lawyers to fight the charges against his son at the luxurious five-star Cavalieri Waldorf Astoria hotel.
With commanding views over Rome, a Michelin-star restaurant and priceless Renaissance art-work hanging in the lobby, the resort as one of Italy’s finest, where suites cost up to $1,500 a night.