NEW YORK (WCBS 880) – A police report is shedding more light on an incident involving a missing Long Island woman and her boyfriend that occurred last month as Gabby Petito’s mother reveals what her daughter’s last text message to her read before the 22-year-old mysteriously disappeared.
The report, from the Moab Police Department in Utah, detailed an Aug. 12 domestic dispute between Petito and her boyfriend, Brian Laundrie, who is now considered a "person of interest" in Petito's disappearance.
Cops said a witness dialed 911 after the couple "engaged in some sort of altercation" at their white Ford Transit outside of a Moab food co-op, according to the report.
Responding to the domestic dispute call, police tracked down the couple's van as it allegedly sped toward the entrance to Arches National Park. One officer pulled the vehicle over near the front gates to the park after he observed the van abruptly swerving and crossing the center lane traveling 45 mph in a 15 mph zone, according to the report.
Cops said Petito had scratched Laundrie's face and that she was "crying uncontrollably" as she spoke to officers during their stop. She told an officer at the scene that they had been having "little arguments" that day.
"At no point in my investigation did Gabrielle stop crying, breathing heavily, or compose a sentence without needing to wipe away tears, wipe her nose, or rub her knees with her hands," an officer wrote in the report.
The couple told the officers they both have mental health issues and were not taking medication for them. Laundrie added that the relationship had strained over their cross-country trip from Long Island to Oregon and that they were arguing more than usual, according to the report.
A second officer at the scene detailed that the two were physical during the stop — that Petito at one point began slapping Laundrie and that he had "grabbed her face" to push her away.
Ultimately the officers decided there was not enough evidence to press charges in the case. Neither of the two had asked for charges to be filed either, according to police.
Petito abruptly stopped communicating with her mother just more than a week later in late August, when the couple was believed to be in Wyoming's Grand Teton National Park.
Petito’s mother, Nichole Schmidt, told the New York Post she received a brief, final message from her daughter’s phone on Aug. 30: “No service in Yosemite."
But Schmidt told the outlet she doesn't believe the final message was from her daughter, noting that Laundrie had already returned to Florida with the van on Sept. 1.
Laundrie has remained silent since Petito was reported missing.
"Many people are wondering why Mr. Laundrie would not make a statement or speak with law enforcement in the face of Ms. Petito's absence," Laundrie's attorney said in a statement Wednesday. "In my experience, intimate partners are often the first person law enforcement focuses their attention on in cases like this and the warning that 'any statement made will be used against you' is true, regardless of whether my client had anything to do with Ms. Petito's disappearance."
Florida's North Port police confirmed Laundrie as a "person of interest" Wednesday as Petito's family released a new statement pleading with her boyfriend to speak with authorities.
“As of now, Brian has not made himself available to be interviewed by investigators or has provided any helpful details,” police said in a press release. “We know Brian returned here to North Port on Sept. 1 — ten days before her family reported her missing on Sept. 11. We have no information that a crime occurred here in North Port. Brian Laundrie is a person of interest in this case.”
Laundrie's attorney said the person-of-interest designation will not change his position.
"Mr. Laundrie will continue to remain silent on the advice of counsel," the spokesman added.
In a tweet, North Port's police chief asked Laundrie's attorney to arrange a conversation with his client and law enforcement.
"Two people left on a trip and one person returned!" North Port Police Chief Todd Garrison tweeted.
In a statement Wednesday afternoon, through their attorney Richard Stafford, Petito’s family said Laundrie “sits in the comfort of his home” as they search for her in two national parks.
“Every day the search for Gabby continues the Schmidt and Petito family becomes more desperate,” the family wrote. “They are frantically searching for answers and information in their daughter’s disappearance while Brian sits in the comfort of his home. Brian claims he wants to sit in the background while we search for Gabby in the wilderness of the Grand Teton and Yellowstone national parks. Brian left Gabby in the wilderness with grizzly bears and wolves while he sits in the comfort of his home. In his home! Brian, how could you do this to Gabby? You selfishly remain silent while Gabby is all alone in the wilderness. Brian, your silence is reprehensible! We beg you to do the right thing and help us bring Gabby home. Brian, whatever happened in Wyoming, happened. The only thing you can control is what you do now. Tell us where Gabby is. You tarnish your love for her with your silence.”
Asked at a press conference why Laundrie was named a person of interest, North Port public information officer Josh Taylor said, “I think most people would come to that conclusion in this case.”
“He was the last known person that we have information that was around her. How you define person of interest is up to you, but certainly we are interested in talking with him,” Taylor said, adding that there is currently no search warrant on the home of Laundrie's parents, where the van was recovered Saturday, 10 days after Laundrie drove it there.
FBI agents assisted police in fully processing the van for evidence on Tuesday evening, Taylor said.
Police have been unable to speak with Laundrie or his family since they went to their home Saturday night and “were essentially handed the information for their attorney,” Taylor said.
“That is the extent of our conversation with them,” Taylor said. “It is my understanding that we have had some conversations with his attorney, but certainly nothing to the level of providing us the details that we would like.”
North Port Police said they are now the primary investigating agency in the case and that they are working with the FBI and Suffolk County Police in New York, where Petito’s family resides.
The FBI has set up a national hotline to receive tips, which is now their primary tip line: 1-800-CALLFBI (225-5324). Authorities have received hundreds of tips already, and the tips are being vetted through multiple agencies, police said.
“As a father, I can imagine the pain and suffering Gabby’s family is going through,” North Port Police Chief Todd Garrison said in a statement. “We are pleading with anyone, including Brian, to share information with us on her whereabouts in the past few weeks. The lack of information from Brian is hindering this investigation. The answers will eventually come out. We will help find Gabby and we will help find anyone who may be involved in her disappearance.”
Earlier Wednesday, the lawyer for Petito's mother and stepfather said the 22-year-old's Instagram account had disappeared in the overnight hours. He said he had "no idea who deleted it" and contacted the FBI and Instagram to alert them. By mid-morning, the account appeared to be back up.
“We are looking into that,” Taylor said of the account. “To my knowledge, that is not something that we have done.”
Instagram later confirmed to WCBS 880 that the account had been "removed in error."
WCBS 880's Sophia Hall reported that as of Tuesday, no search of the Grand Teton National Park had been conducted.
Taylor confirmed that North Port Police have not organized a search in Wyoming. "It is my understanding that the family themselves from New York has flown to Wyoming," he said. "I cannot confirm that—that they’re doing their own search. I have heard that. I believe that to be true, but I cannot confirm that."
Taylor said police will “use everything” and “anything under the law” in their search for Petito as they develop a timeline of her whereabouts.
“Tolls, highway cameras, gas station surveillance cameras, tips, cell phone usage, financials—whatever,” he said. “I can tell you that we have received some video footage from different times. Whether that is helpful, I don’t know.”
Taylor said they're still searching for Petito's cellphone.
“That is something that we are wanting to locate for sure. We’ve got detectives working around the clock with the FBI, using every technological resource known to man,” Taylor said.
Laundrie initially broke his silence on the case Tuesday, hiring a lawyer, issuing a statement and declining to comment further.
“This is an extremely difficult time for both the Petito family and the Laundrie family. I understand that a search has been organized for Miss Petito in or near Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming,” Laundrie said through his lawyer.
“On behalf of the Laundrie family it is our hope that the search for Miss Petito is successful and that Miss Petito is re-united with her family,” he went on. “On the advice of counsel the Laundrie family is remaining in the background at this juncture and will have no further comment.”
A spokesperson for Petito's parents, Nichole Schmidt and Joseph Petito, issued a statement urging Laundrie to come forward with information.
"Brian is refusing to tell Gabby's family where he last saw her, Brian is also refusing to explain why he left Gabby all alone and drove her van to Florida. These are critical questions that require immediate answers," the spokesperson said.
Family and friends have raised more than $30,000 on GoFundMe to support the search for Petito, which involves multiple law enforcement agencies.
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