Man held, girlfriend sought in child abuse

Doctors say the 3-year-old girl had a fractured skull, broken rib and bruises all over her body.

By AUSTIN BOGUES
Published July 19, 2007

SPRING HILL - When authorities spoke with the little girl and asked how she had been injured, the 3-year-old was matter of fact: "Angie did pow pow."

When she didn't pick up her clothes, the girl told investigators, "Angie" slammed her head on the ground and pulled her legs.

She didn't talk about the severity of her injuries, but an examination by emergency room physicians provided alarming details: The child had a fractured skull, a broken rib, bruising all over her body and traumatic pancreatitis.

She also had circular burns on her feet, most likely caused by lit cigarettes. The injuries, a physician told authorities, indicate an ongoing pattern of abuse.

Daniel Marvulli, 29, of Spring Hill surrendered to police on Wednesday and is facing charges of being an accessory after the fact to aggravated child abuse.

Hernando deputies now are searching for the man's girlfriend, Angela Valenzano.

A Sheriff's Office report says that on July 10, Valenzano brought the girl to the Spring Hill Regional Hospital emergency room, explaining the child's injuries by saying she had fallen off a bunk bed.

She then fled the hospital.

The medical staff determined that the injuries could not have occurred the way the woman claimed they had, and they called law enforcement.

A short time later, the report states, Marvulli arrived at the hospital. He told the staff that the woman he knew only as Angela looked after the girl while he was at work. He didn't know Angela's phone number, he said, telling deputies that when he needed to contact her, he drove to her home.

Eventually, Marvulli admitted Valenzano was his girlfriend. He said he hid her identity because he could not believe that she would have harmed the girl.

Marvulli said Valenzano, 31, called him at work to say the girl had fallen off the bed and that he told her to call an ambulance.

Valenzano told a deputy that she had put the girl into the bunk bed while she watched three other children in a swimming pool.

She said she checked on the girl every 15 minutes, but that the last time she did, she found the child lying on the floor.

Valenzano also said that the girl had been hit in the face with a ball thrown by one of the other children, but she could not say which child had thrown the ball. Marvulli told authorities that he believed the girl inflicted the injuries on herself.

The girl, meanwhile, had been flown to All Children's Hospital in St. Petersburg.

July 11, when a detective spoke to the girl, she said Valenzano caused the burns on her feet. She said she got into trouble with Valenzano for not picking up her clothes and that Valenzano had slammed her head on the ground.

A warrant has been issued for Valenzano's arrest. Marvulli is being held at the Hernando County jail, with a bail set at $25,000.

The Sheriff's Office is asking for anyone who might know of Valenzano's whereabouts to contact the Crime Stoppers Hotline at 352-797-TIPS 8477.

Austin Bogues can be reached at abogues@sptimes.com or (352) 754-6117.

[Last modified July 18, 2007, 21:36:11]