The ex of Unexpected mom Rilah Ferrer is back in jail in Florida. Anthony Vanelli was booked on Monday after he allegedly stabbed his mother’s boyfriend repeatedly with a knife.
Anthony is currently in custody at the John E Polk Correctional Facility in Sanford, Florida. The 22-year-old is facing a felony charge of aggravated battery using a deadly weapon (domestic violence) and a misdemeanor charge of resisting arrest without violence. His arraignment is scheduled for July 5.
According to the arrest report, Anthony was at his mother Rebecca’s house when he got into a confrontation with her boyfriend over the fact that Anthony was walking around the house carrying a knife.
Rebecca told police that she was in another room but heard her boyfriend say, “Why are you walking around with a knife in your hand?” Anthony replied, “For my protection.” She said a verbal argument turned into a physical altercation, during which Anthony stabbed her boyfriend multiple times.
Police later spoke with Rebecca’s boyfriend at the hospital and summarized his account of what happened in the report:
[Rebecca’s boyfriend] was at home watching basketball when Anthony arrived at the residence. They got into a verbal argument over Anthony walking around the house holding a knife while the children were inside. Anthony then stabbed [Rebecca’s boyfriend] in the back, and he felt a warm sensation. [Rebecca’s boyfriend] was then stabbed multiple times, sustaining puncture wounds to his chest and back. [Rebecca’s boyfriend] proceeded into the garage where his girlfriend’s two daughters were doing hair, and they observed him bleeding. The two girls immediately began to render aid.
Anthony’s sister’s “grabbed a white t-shirt which they utilized to apply pressure to [Rebecca’s boyfriend’s] stab wounds” and “Anthony was seen leaving the residence from the back door which is connected to his room.”
More disturbing details from officers on the scene:
Upon deputies arriving at the residence, [Rebecca’s boyfriend] was seen holding blankets and towels against his front and back torso. There was a significant amount of blood on [Rebecca’s boyfriend’s] clothes. The blankets and towels [Rebecca’s boyfriend] was holding were also covered in blood. There was also a significant amount of blood dripping down [Rebecca’s boyfriend’s] back.
Police later made contact with Anthony nearby. “After being secured by Deputy Parish, Anthony began to run down the sidewalk in an attempt to escape from Deputy Parish. Anthony was quickly apprehended and placed into the rear of a patrol vehicle.”
UPDATE – Rilah responded to an Instagram post about Anthony’s arrest by @tlc.unexpectedteaa. Here’s what Rilah wrote:
His family was pressing me about me not letting him be around Malayah and I rest my case. He’s a nut job and I haven’t had my daughter around him in years. Hope his mom feels stupid rn.
Anthony Vanelli’s arrest history
Anthony’s arrest this week is just the latest in a long string of run-ins with the law. In October of 2019, Anthony was arrested for domestic violence after an altercation with Rilah Ferrer.
In February of 2021, Anthony was arrested again after allegedly stealing his grandmother’s car and shooting his former stepdad’s house. He was charged with shooting into an occupied dwelling (2nd degree felony) and improper exhibition of a dangerous weapon or firearm (1st degree misdemeanor). Those charges were later dropped as the prosecutor decided not to move forward with the case.
Anthony was booked in November of 2021 and charged with misdemeanor domestic battery after an altercation with a man at Anthony’s grandmother’s home. That charge was also later dropped.
In a previous incident involving a knife, Anthony was charged with felony aggravated assault in April of 2021 after he allegedly pulled a knife on a woman and told her he didn’t like the guy she was with.
Anthony’s attorney filed a motion to determine if Anthony was mentally competent to stand trial. The doctor “determined that the Defendant was incompetent to proceed to trial and that he met the criteria for involuntary commitment” in June of 2022. “The defendant is hereby committed to the Custody of the Department of Children and Family Services for involuntary placement in the Florida State Hospital, at a facility to be determined by the department.”
In November of 2022, Anthony was deemed competent to stand trial. He changed his plea to no contest for all charges in January of this year. He was sentenced to 337 days in jail, and credited for 337 days for time served.
Anthony was arrested by Seminole County police in February of last year after allegedly tampering with his ankle monitor and then attempting to run from an officer.
Due in part to the fact that Anthony was reportedly still wearing his working GPS monitor, he was apprehended at a nearby Catholic school. He was charged with a third-degree felony count of tampering with an electronic monitoring device as well as misdemeanor counts of resisting an officer without violence and trespassing on school grounds.
This case was also put on hold after Anthony was deemed incompetent to stand trial. Once that changed, Anthony pleaded no contest for all charges. His sentencing was tied to his previous case and included in the sentence of 337 days in jail with credit for time served covering all 337 days.
Asa Hawks is a writer and editor for Starcasm. You can contact Asa via Twitter, Facebook, or email at starcasmtips(at)yahoo.com
