Collier County commissioner's lawyer defends LoCastro, disputes rumor linked to arrest

Collier County Commissioner Rick LoCastro faces arrest warrants accusing him of domestic abuse in October even as rescue workers shuttled him to the hospital Tuesday morning; his lawyer decrying rumors.

Days after prosecutors in Monroe County confirmed they were handling the investigation into an accused battery involving a Southwest Florida elected official, authorities confirmed this week they've issued a warrant for his arrest.

LoCastro's attorney said he is expected to be released from a hospital Wednesday after facing a medical event Tuesday, the same day the warrant for his arrest was issued.

His Naples attorney, Donald Day, said he has been in contact with LoCastro’s family, which told him of the pending discharge.

“I don’t know exactly when,” Day said.

Day had no information on LoCastro’s medical condition and he said some media reports about his condition were “a complete lie.”

LoCastro, who was elected to the Collier board in 2020, is running for re-election this fall.

Day said he has not seen any of the incident reports from last October where LoCastro is accused of domestic violence and said they were leaked to some media.

“No criminal defense attorney gets the reports until two weeks after the first court date,” he said. “That is when the accused is entitled to the reports. If reports are being released, they have not been given to me.”

Day added: “I can go on the record (that) I have a substantial amount of evidence in my possession that will show this man is innocent.”

Records specialists release little information

Barbara Toreky, records specialist at Naples police, confirmed Tuesday afternoon an assault case remains open.

Toreky said the warrant is active. She declined to release any specific information.

LoCastro, who lives in Marco Island, was absent from the commission's workshop at 9 a.m. Tuesday. Deputy County Manager Dan Rodriguez announced LoCastro was not there due to a "medical emergency," and stated that County Manager Amy Patterson was not there because she went to visit him to "make sure that he's OK."

“On behalf of the County Administration, we are saddened to learn of Commissioner LoCastro’s current situation," Patterson said Wednesday.  "We offer him and his family our collective prayers and hope for healing,"

The Marco Island Police Department responded to LoCastro’s home around 7 a.m. Tuesday for an emergency medical call, and LoCastro was taken by ambulance to an area hospital, Marco Police Capt. John Wallace said.

Because of patient privacy laws, Wallace could not say which hospital he was taken to or provide any information on his medical condition. He also could not say if it was a 911 call or where it originated because the case is still open.

The nearest hospital from Marco Island is Physicians Regional at Collier Boulevard.

Hospital spokeswoman Amanda Alessi said in a statement that due to privacy under HIPPA and patient confidentiality, she could not disclose any information.

Wallace also said that there is a warrant for LoCastro's arrest out of the Marco Police but that also is an open case so he could not disclose any details.

Case reassigned with warrant issued this week

Samantha Syoen, spokesperson for the State Attorney's Office, 20th Judicial Circuit, on Wednesday, Jan 31 said Gov. Ron DeSantis' office reassigned the case to the 16th Judicial Circuit, in Monroe County.

In November, LoCastro briefly answered a phone call, saying he wasn't concerned.

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"This is what happens when people are disgruntled," LoCastro said during that call. At the time, he said he expected a "full exoneration."

LoCastro's district encompasses East Naples, Marco Island, Goodland, Isles of Capri and Port of the Islands.

Marco Island and Naples police have said details around the investigation are exempt from public disclosure.

Naples Daily News and News-Press journalist J. Kyle Foster contributed to this report.

Tomas Rodriguez is a Breaking/Live News Reporter for the Naples Daily News and The News-Press. You can reach Tomas at TRodriguez@gannett.com or 772-333-5501. Connect with him on Threads @tomasfrobeltran, Instagram @tomasfrobeltran and Facebook @tomasrodrigueznews.

This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: Warrant issued for arrest of Collier Commissioner Rick LoCastro