JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — New body camera video released to Action News Jax raises questions about an officer’s actions in Jacksonville leading up to a murder in New Jersey.
Last week we reported that Angielly Dominguez was accused of murdering her 21-year-old sister at her home in Little Ferry, New Jersey.
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Her fiance, Tony Miranda, called the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office the day before to report Dominguez had taken his car and guns and started driving north.
Miranda was tracking the 27-year-old on her phone and told the officer she was driving north on I-95 in South Carolina at the time.
“She’s having a mental snap again,” Miranda told the officer. Dominguez was admitted for treatment via the Baker Act just days before. “I don’t understand how they let her out in one day saying ‘she’s fine’.”
Action News Jax reported that Dominguez was being treated as a paranoid schizophrenic, but was off her medication according to a police report.
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“She’s an adult, right?” the officer asks Miranda in the video. “Unfortunately, given everything I have, I don’t even know what the best course of action for you is.”
Miranda responds, “I just want to report the car stolen.” The officer then says, “We can’t do that. She has rights to the car, even though it’s in your name.”
The officer explained because they were in a relationship, it’s a civil matter and not criminal.
Action News Jax’s Law & Safety Expert Dale Carson has years of experience in law enforcement and now serves as a defense attorney. He reviewed the video with Action News Jax’s Robert Grant.
“She’s mentally unstable and she’s got guns. Wouldn’t you worry that she might hurt herself? All of those are red flags,” he said. “To simply roll into civil and say, ‘I’m not going to handle this’ is probably not the best course of action. The real skill of policing is to prevent crimes before they happen.”
The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office confirmed it is looking into the officer’s actions. They have not yet responded to our question if the officer is still on duty.
Dominguez is charged with first-degree murder in connection with the death of her 21-year-old sister, Omelly Dominguez.