Nicole Bottiglierivega, 42, is being held in Miami after police accused her of breaking into a neighbor’s apartment and involving one of her children in removing belongings. She faces four charges tied to the alleged burglary and a separate encounter with officers the following day.
Neighbor Returns to a Ransacked Home
The resident told officers that he and his wife returned home around 3 p.m. on Oct. 29 to find their apartment ransacked. Personal belongings had been taken and were scattered through a rear common area toward the street and parking lot, according to an arrest report cited by WSVN.
Police said Bottiglierivega had moved into the neighboring unit about two weeks earlier. Surveillance video reportedly showed her and one of her young children forcing open the victims’ rear door, damaging the lock and doorframe, and carrying furniture and personal items out of the apartment. A neighbor’s Ring camera footage also showed the break-in and damage to the furnishings, CBS News Miami reported.
Children Inside Draw in Child Welfare Workers
After the alleged break-in, Bottiglierivega went into her apartment with her children and did not answer officers knocking at the door and rear windows, according to the police account reported by CBS News Miami.
Because minors were inside the unit, police contacted the Florida Department of Children and Families. A child welfare investigator arrived at the scene Thursday evening but was initially unable to make contact with Bottiglierivega, per the same account.
Standoff Turns Physical During Follow-Up Visit
Officers and DCF workers returned around 4 p.m. Friday for a follow-up. A police sergeant reported hearing screaming and seeing blood near Bottiglierivega’s door. Officers entered the apartment and found her in a bedroom, according to the arrest report.
Police alleged Bottiglierivega resisted as officers tried to handcuff her. At the City of Miami Police North Station, she freed her wrists from the handcuffs in a holding cell and approached the main facility door before an officer intervened and secured her again. She declined to answer detectives’ questions later that afternoon, the report said.
Charges and Custody Status
Bottiglierivega faces charges of third-degree grand theft, contributing to the delinquency or dependency of a child, criminal mischief, and resisting an officer without violence. She is being held at Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center, where bond was set at more than $11,000, according to the outlet’s report.
What the Child-Welfare Involvement and Charge Mean
Florida DCF says that, generally, being offered support during a child-protection investigation does not necessarily mean a family has abused, neglected or abandoned a child. That agency guidance is not a finding about this case or its outcome, according to Florida DCF. Florida Statutes §827.04 classifies conduct covered by the statute as a first-degree misdemeanor, according to the Florida Legislature. That classification does not establish that Bottiglierivega committed the alleged offense.
