Detective describes home where father, daughter lived before her death
By Alana Cerrone
@Alana_Cerrone
Former Pawtucket Police Detective Donti Rosciti testifies to his involvement in the investigation of Aleida Depina’s death. He met with Jorge Depina at Miriam Hospital in July of 2013 shortly after Aleida was pronounced dead.
He recalls inspecting the van Depina borrowed to bring Aleida to the hospital.
“There appeared to be dried vomit in numerous areas in the van."
Rosciti says officers brought Depina to the Pawtucket Police station where he gave a written statement of what happened to his daughter.
"She called me with a strange voice when I saw her she was throwing up a lot. I got scared and took her right to the hospital."
Rosciti obtained a search warrant for the Knowles Street home where Depina and his daughter lived.
There, he noticed a substance running down the side of the house.
"It had the odor and consistency of vomit."
Inside the home, detectives found a bucket containing more of what Rosciti says seemed to be vomit.
He found clothes soaking in the tub including a blue t-shirt he says Aleida wore in a video that plays an important part in the prosecution.
When Aleida’s cause of death was confirmed to be blunt force trauma to the small intestine, detectives started looking for objects that could cause injury.
They found a jumprope and cut electrical cord.
Rosciti testified that they would later see those objects used in a video they found on a camera that was also seized from the home.
According to the prosecution that video shows child abuse against Aleida. In their opening statements, the defense did not deny that, but suggested other factors – like a fall from her bicycle – could have killed her.
© WLNE-TV 2018
