Burdens within John Maccarelli's life were difficult to bear

Burdens within John Maccarelli's life were difficult to bear
By Bill Stevens, Times Staff Writer
In Print: Monday, February 22, 2010
NEW PORT RICHEY

John Maccarelli awoke to a Pasco County sheriff's detective knocking on his door. What happened to the baby? Maccarelli, a 33-year-old construction worker renting a house in Holiday with his longtime girlfriend and her 9-year-old daughter, knew right away what Detective Janet Raybuck was talking about. Or so he thought.

The night before, he had watched a 3-month-old named Joshua for an acquaintance. Sometime during the night, Lola, his 25-pound beagle, had jumped on the bed and scratched the baby across the nose, he said. It was upsetting, but he didn't think it would bring a detective to his door. Raybuck questioned him about the dog. A technician videotaped Lola jumping on the bed. The next day — Jan. 12, 2009 — the detective charged Maccarelli with aggravated child abuse. Joshua had been beaten. He was in serious condition at Helen Ellis Hospital in Tarpon Springs. A headline in the Tampa Tribune read, "Holiday Man Accused of Child Abuse Blamed Dog.'' Bloggers had their way with Maccarelli. It would get worse.

When the state attorney's office in Pasco County learned of the murder charge, it dropped the case against Maccarelli — three days after Christmas.

John Maccarelli had hanged himself with Lola's leash.

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http://www.tampabay.com/news/courts/criminal/article1074861.ece