A woman faces charges after investigators discovered she had been housing and hiding a missing teenager from Crossroads Hope Academy.
Charlotte County deputies responded to the facility around 10 p.m. on February 10 regarding a missing teenage boy. Staff reported that the teen had permission to go to South County Park but could not be located when they attempted to retrieve him.
Deputies learned that the teen had been involved in an earlier unreported incident with Sherry J. Novelli, 60, a volunteer who had been in the process of attempting to adopt him. Following the incident, Novelli had been asked to leave Crossroads and have no further contact with the youth.
When questioned, Novelli initially told deputies that she last saw the teen at South County Park, where she had brought him food. She denied knowing his whereabouts. Investigators later discovered Novelli had purchased the boy’s cell phone and was paying for the service. She had also opened a bank account in his name.
During the investigation, Novelli missed a scheduled meeting with a detective, claiming she had a dentist appointment in Venice. Authorities later tracked the teen’s phone to Venice and requested assistance from the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office. Deputies located the teen inside Novelli’s car in the parking lot of the dentist’s office, and both were taken into custody.
Further investigation revealed that Novelli had set the teen up in a condo, where she provided him with alcohol, cigarettes, a marijuana vape pen, and a laptop. The teen stated that Novelli used a code word when arriving at the condo and that they drank alcohol together. He denied any sexual relationship.
Novelli later confessed and was arrested on charges of Interference with Child Custody and Contributing to the Delinquency or Dependency of a Child. She was booked into the Charlotte County Jail and has since bonded out.
“Youth who are enrolled at Crossroads Hope Academy have already had a rough go of things. To further complicate their lives is not a ‘motherly’ thing to do, and it only further harms them. This woman made a series of poor choices, and it is clear that she is not what is best for this young man. I hope that her impact is not long-lasting and that he finds the right person to help him find his way,” said Sheriff Bill Prummell.
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