Michael Giovo Arrested After His Baby Dies

[nurseronda]

LARGO — Skyler Giovo was just 4 months old when he died Wednesday night.

Largo police say they think he was the victim of shaken baby syndrome, brought on by his father, Michael L. Giovo Jr.

But Giovo said he's done nothing to hurt his son and that the only injury he can think of happened when the baby fell off a couch on Thanksgiving night.

In an interview from the Pinellas County Jail, where he faces charges of aggravated child abuse and murder, Giovo said he has been wrongfully accused and his legal problems have now compounded an already devastating personal tragedy.

"It's not fair. The law is supposed to be out there to get the bad guys," Giovo said Friday during an interview at the jail. "I'm not a bad guy. I would never hurt my son."

How the child actually received such severe, internal head injuries will be a question for the courts.

But both police and Giovo agree about certain parts of the timeline leading up to Skyler's death.

Thanksgiving Day, Giovo, fiancee Jessica Hooper and their children spent the day with family nearby. When they came home, Hooper went to sleep and Giovo stayed up watching television, according to Giovo's account.

Sometime that night, Skyler began to cry so Giovo took him out of his crib and placed him on the couch while he prepared a bottle.

Giovo said he heard a cry and discovered his son had fallen off the couch. Police say the couch is roughly 18 inches off the Berber carpeted floor. Giovo said that the baby cried for a while, but he seemed to recover, and that Skyler slept next to him in bed that night.

The next morning, the parents noticed the baby was not acting right, according to police and Giovo. He was sluggish, he was not hungry. When he started to twitch, the parents rushed him to All Children's Hospital.

Giovo points to this as further evidence he didn't harm his son. If he had abused the boy, why would he have rushed the boy to the hospital, Giovo asked.

At All Children's, doctors discovered the baby was suffering from serious injuries. Police were told by a doctor that the injuries were "highly inconsistent" with a fall from a couch and were more likely an indication of child abuse.

As Skyler lay on his death bed, Michael Giovo was interviewed by police at the hospital and then at his home on La Costa Lane in Largo.

"I didn't get to see my son for seven hours while they were interrogating me," Giovo complained. He said he went along with the interview voluntarily because police said he was not a suspect. "If I knew they were going to make me a suspect I would have asked for a lawyer right then."

On the night of Nov. 29, he was arrested and taken to jail on a charge of aggravated child abuse, where he was held without bond. The arrest affidavit said the baby was expected to die within 24 hours.

Giovo continued to stay in touch with his fiancee and his father over the next few days as his son's condition showed no improvement.

Wednesday night, doctors told the family that the boy would never be able to open his eyes and would remain a vegetable, Giovo said. He and his fiancee decided to remove him from life support.

The loss has been devastating for the family. Giovo has one other son, 5-year-old Ashton, who lives with the boy's mother. Hooper has a 5-year-old daughter who lives with them on La Costa Lane. Giovo said the girl was taken away by the Department of Children and Families because of the allegations. Police said Hooper had no knowledge of the Thanksgiving incident.

Giovo was already scheduled to appear in court next week on a felony charge of identity theft and has a criminal record that includes burglary charges. Until he was laid off last week, Giovo worked installing air-conditioners. His fiancee is a stay-at-home mom, according to police.

Giovo is being held without bail.

"I am not a bad father," Giovo said. "I've done everything I could for my kids."

http://www.tampabay.com/news/publicsafety/crime/article928047.ece

 

[Dakota]

"I've done everything I could for my kids."

Ya sure - including kill them.

 

[sanityslipping]

We really need to do something to get those murderous couches, bathtubs etc.. out of people's homes. The couch must've thrown the baby. Mine has fallen off the couch a few times, and she's fine.

 

[Silvahalo]

It sounds like this on is in SEVERE DENIAL. I'm wondering if the baby actually did fall from the couch but after he placed him there from shaking him.
Maybe walked away thinking about what he'd just done and how to cover it up.
Regardless, this poor baby boy didn't get help ALL night. Even if he had just fallen, which the doc's are saying is inconsistent with the nature of the injuries, he should have gotten little Skyler help. Surely he would have noticed the baby acting odd and likely having trouble breathing.

He said that little Skler slept with him that night. He may have had remorse for what he had just done and in that case would have seen that baby Skler was in distress...but he did nothing to help his son.

So IF he was innocent, he still deserves jail time for not getting help. That time passed might have saved his son.

I'm so sorry little Syler. Your father was once a trusted soul to you,
now all he is...is a murdering father.


My deepest sympathies to the family & friends of Sklyer Giovo.

 

[F250GulfportFlorida]

You all must be small people with small minds, if you have a mind at all. This guy has not been proven guilty of any crime. Not everything you read in the paper is the truth. Perhaps if you believed in the judicial system you would let this guy have his day in court. Once he is proven NOT GUILTY of this crime, you can all eat your words.

 

[TheLittleFriend]

You all must be small people with small minds, if you have a mind at all. This guy has not been proven guilty of any crime. Not everything you read in the paper is the truth. Perhaps if you believed in the judicial system you would let this guy have his day in court. Once he is proven NOT GUILTY of this crime, you can all eat your words.

"...At All Children's, doctors discovered the baby was suffering from serious injuries. Police were told by a doctor that the injuries were "highly inconsistent" with a fall from a couch and were more likely an indication of child abuse..."

Eat this.

 

[penelopejo]

You all must be small people with small minds, if you have a mind at all. This guy has not been proven guilty of any crime. Not everything you read in the paper is the truth. Perhaps if you believed in the judicial system you would let this guy have his day in court. Once he is proven NOT GUILTY of this crime, you can all eat your words.

We are not the judicial system. We belong to site where we are allowed to express our feelings about cases like this one. I believe he did it. No doubt about it. So, when the judicial system is done with this sperm donor, you will eat your words because he will be found guilty of a crime he commited.

 

[Peeperann]

You all must be small people with small minds, if you have a mind at all. This guy has not been proven guilty of any crime. Not everything you read in the paper is the truth. Perhaps if you believed in the judicial system you would let this guy have his day in court. Once he is proven NOT GUILTY of this crime, you can all eat your words.

Small people with small minds? Nah, it's just that every single day we hear the killer couch or the killer bathtub did it at least a hundred times a day. Now i've never seen such killer couches and bathtubs, so the most logical conclusion is he shook and beat that baby to death.

How else would you explain it? I'm waiting on pins and needles to hear your theory................

Oh, and we don't just go on the news reports, we usually always get copies of the arrest record with all the filed charges on it, so guess our brains are a bit bigger than you think..................

 

[Tazzzz]

Skyler Blake Giovo
Born in Safety Harbor on Aug. 8, 2008
Departed on Dec. 3, 2008
Infant son of Michael L. Giovo Jr. and Jessica L. Hooper

Memorial Page
http://obit.alifetribute.com/obit_display.cgi?id=609788
======================================

R.I.P. Skyler Blake Giovo

 

[Dakota]

You all must be small people with small minds, if you have a mind at all. This guy has not been proven guilty of any crime. Not everything you read in the paper is the truth. Perhaps if you believed in the judicial system you would let this guy have his day in court. Once he is proven NOT GUILTY of this crime, you can all eat your words.

Take a watermelon. Drop it from a height of 18 inches to a berber carpeted floor. See what happens. Not much. And a baby is way tougher to break than a watermelon.

If I'm on his jury, I will keep in mind "innocent until proven guilty". Until then, I will, as a free thinking member of society, base my opinions on the evidence i have been presented... as well as a healthy dose of common sense and reality.

 

[Tazzzz]

You all must be small people with small minds, if you have a mind at all. This guy has not been proven guilty of any crime. Not everything you read in the paper is the truth. Perhaps if you believed in the judicial system you would let this guy have his day in court. Once he is proven NOT GUILTY of this crime, you can all eat your words.

OOhh SNAP, thats freaking funny shit, spewing from your pie hole. Here a fork to eat your crow with you Ass-Pirate.

Michael L. Giovo Jr

Charges:
1)FRAUDULENT USE OF PERSONAL ID INFO
2)AGGRAVATED CHILD ABUSE
3)HOLD ICE <---OH LOOK HOLD FOR ICE hmm wonder what that means ???
4)MURDER

=======================================

OOHH look more criminal history HHmmmm

RELEASED - 4/17/2006 8:58 PM
1) DEALING IN STOLEN PROPERTY

======================================

OOHH golly gee wiz theres more HHmmmm (whoo 4 whole months)

RELEASED - 8/22/2006 5:10 PM
1)VOP BURG; CRIMINAL MISCHIEF 2CTS

---------------------------------------------------------------
Ohh my 3 charges this time

RELEASED - 4/25/2007 8:26 PM
1) VOP DEALING IN STOLEN PROP
2) VOP ATT/BURG
3) VOP CRIMINAL MISCHIEF

==============================================
Not done yet, theres still more

RELEASED - 9/20/2007 2:18 AM
1) VOP DEALING IN STOLEN PROPERTY
2) VOP BURGLARY - ATTEMPT
3) VOP CRIMINAL MISCHIEF->$200 <$1000

============================

Last one

RELEASED - 10/18/2008 6:21 PM
1) FRAUDULENT USE OF PERSONAL ID <--- HHmmmmm

---------------------------------------------------

 

[penelopejo]

This guy has not been proven guilty of any crime.

HOT DAMN!!! Looks like he's been guilty of many crimes. No wonder.....this baby didn't have a chance around him. Mr. Billybadass can now add baby killer to his already long crime resume.

 

[Silvahalo]

You all must be small people with small minds, if you have a mind at all. This guy has not been proven guilty of any crime. Not everything you read in the paper is the truth. Perhaps if you believed in the judicial system you would let this guy have his day in court. Once he is proven NOT GUILTY of this crime, you can all eat your words.

F250, seems like your judging us "small people" for having an opinion based on facts, the small mind is all yours. Trained doctors who see this kind of injury inflicted on innocent, helpless babies everyday, right now as I type, know the difference. A fall from the couch injuries and shaken baby injuries are NOT the same...look it up. If your the mother of this baby, you shouldn't be wasting your time bitching at us, you are probably out of your mind in grief so I'll give you pardon for your ludicrous comments, but you should be praying to God, this bastard he didn't kill your baby, otherwise, your judgment based on what...his prior record?... will haunt you forever. Whoever you are, I'll be glad to wait for the verdict and be the first to apologize if he is innocent...but I think you know he is not. You, small mind are in denial.

"I am not a bad father," Giovo said. "I've done everything I could for my kids."

...yeah, including murder.

Such a sweet baby...may the angels keep you close and dear.

 

[Vilijonkka]

Take a watermelon. Drop it from a height of 18 inches to a berber carpeted floor. See what happens. Not much. And a baby is way tougher to break than a watermelon.

Exactly.

My son fell off the bed when 8 months. He was screaming louder than a siren, I freaked and called the ER nurse. Guess what she said?

That she's NEVER seen a baby with a brain damage after a simple fall from a bed or a couch. That the brain damage and skull fracture take a bit more, and generally, breaking baby's bones is not that easy. And that my son would most definately start acting differently and I would most definately notice it, if something was not right. Then I should bring him in.

So that is why I'm usually letting the couches and beds to walk.

 

[Tazzzz]

F250GulfportFlorida. Here are court documents were AssMonkey pleads Guilty to the previous crimes he commited , I got more if you want them.

Michael L. Giovo Jr, pleaded no contest, VOP DEALING IN STOLEN PROP

================================================

Michael L. Giovo Jr , pleaded no contest, DEALING IN STOLEN PROP

======================================================

Michael L. Giovo Jr , pleaded no contest, VOP ATT/BURG

=======================================================

Michael L. Giovo Jr , pleaded no contest,VOP ATT/BURG + VOP CRIMINAL MISCHIEF

 

[Peeperann]

Damn, i'm out of thanks this morning, so just wanted to say it. THANKS for pulling up all those docs everyone!

Guess the stupid spewing moron hasn't come back yet?? Damn. I was really hoping he/she would. Guess it realized we have much bigger brains than it thought!!

 

[Morticia]

Such a sweet baby...may the angels keep you close and dear.

[/QUOTE]


This is heartbreaking. Actually seeing that sweet little face brings it home that this little boy is gone.

 

[Spitfire77]

You all must be small people with small minds, if you have a mind at all. This guy has not been proven guilty of any crime. Not everything you read in the paper is the truth. Perhaps if you believed in the judicial system you would let this guy have his day in court. Once he is proven NOT GUILTY of this crime, you can all eat your words.

I'll just throw in my .02. My daughter rolled off the bed yesterday (and we have a VERY high bed, feet hang about a foot from the floor when sitting on it). She was wailing bloody murder.

Know what she's like today? She's not in a vegetative state, she's the same smiling, happy baby that she was before it happened.

Maybe I just didn't buy one of those baby-killing pieces of furniture. I guess we'll never know...

 

[F250GulfportFlorida]

Small Minds

I agree this young man has been in ALOT of trouble in his life, however he has never harmed anyone. He is NOT a killer, and as of today has not been charged with any crime concerning his son Skyler. To those of you that think I do not read your posts, your wrong. I am happy my comments are as welcome here as yours are.

 

[Spitfire77]

I agree this young man has been in ALOT of trouble in his life, however he has never harmed anyone. He is NOT a killer, and as of today has not been charged with any crime concerning his son Skyler. To those of you that think I do not read your posts, your wrong. I am happy my comments are as welcome here as yours are.

Michael Giovo Jr.'s Pinellas County Sheriff's Office Charge Report

It says on the report that he's charged with Aggravated Child Abuse and Murder. So if that's not concerning his son Skylar, is there another child he's murdered?


Court Records for the Child Abuse and Murder Charges
Child Abuse Court Case #CRC0825331CFANO
Murder Court Case #CRC0825611CFANO

 

[penelopejo]

Calling me small minded, Check your facts

http://www.pcsoweb.com/InmateBooking/SubjectResults.aspx?id=1331686

If you click on the link above, you will see that charge number 2 and charge number 4 show that he is Charged for Aggravated child abuse and murder. He is still in jail as I type this. So, check your facts before you come on here looking like a doofus.

 

[TheLittleFriend]

I agree this young man has been in ALOT of trouble in his life, however he has never harmed anyone. He is NOT a killer, and as of today has not been charged with any crime concerning his son Skyler. To those of you that think I do not read your posts, your wrong. I am happy my comments are as welcome here as yours are.

"Largo police say they think he was the victim of shaken baby syndrome, brought on by his father, Michael L. Giovo Jr."

"..At All Children's, doctors discovered the baby was suffering from serious injuries. Police were told by a doctor that the injuries were "highly inconsistent" with a fall from a couch and were more likely an indication of child abuse..."


I have to remind you again because you're doofus.

 

[Tazzzz]

I agree this young man has been in ALOT of trouble in his life, however he has never harmed anyone. ( Your Opinion) He is NOT a killer (your opinion), and as of today has not been charged with any crime concerning his son Skyler ( WRONG, Thats a lie ). To those of you that think I do not read your posts, your wrong. I am happy my comments are as welcome here as yours are.

Michael is charged with MURDER and aggrevated child abuse. He is currently behind bars in a Maximun security Center, with no bond set. I dought he will get one anyways since he has a ICE hold, but I could be wrong .

I am pretty suprised you are not trying to convince us about it not being, shaken baby syndrome but HLH, GA1 and Menkes Disease. That defence never works anyways so dont bother.

There are several frightening shaken baby syndrome statistics:
One out of four shaken babies die. Several studies estimate that 15% of children's deaths are due to battering or shaking.

Of the thousands of SBS victims who survive death, serious injury follows. The victims' average age is six months.
More than 60% of the victims of SBS are male.
80% of the perpetrators of SBS are male.

During the last few years, it was taught that DTP injection might stimulate the pathology seen in. This is in spite of the proof that it has not appeared in a legitimate medical article. In the annals of shaken baby syndrome laws, the DTP defense was raised without much avail in the criminal prosecution of Malcolm Scoon, an anesthesiologist convicted of manslaughter for the death of his five-year-old daughter, Mariah. She showed all the signs and symptoms of SBS. Dr. Scoon claimed that his daughter died from an infection caused by a vaccination received one week prior to death. The jury rejected this claim as the case is pending on appeal.

----------------------------------------------
Michael current staus and location.

Offender ID: 1331686
Offender Name: MICHAEL LOUIS GIOVO
Date of Birth:9/23/1980
Age:28
Custody Status: In Custody
Location of Offender: PINELLAS COUNTY JAIL - Maximun security Center

------------------------------------------------

Just stick to your opinions and you probly wont get harrased, if you have facts them check them first or we will call you on it.

 

[F250GulfportFlorida]

Small Minds

He has been arrested but has not been charged by the state. You need to dig a little deeper before you place your so called facts on here.

 

[Spitfire77]

He has been arrested but has not been charged by the state. You need to dig a little deeper before you place your so called facts on here.

So, if he hasn't been charged by the state, why was he in court for those charges? It looks like you've been digging so deeply that your head is firmly engaged up your ass.

 

[penelopejo]

Head up your ass!!!

Spitfire you nailed it.

Gulfport...you need to realize that the state has charged him.

http://pubtitlet.co.pinellas.fl.us/...CDI=CRC&CASE=0825331CFANO&CS__RESULTS__KNT=10
that one is for child abuse.

http://pubtitlet.co.pinellas.fl.us/...CDI=CRC&CASE=0825611CFANO&CS__RESULTS__KNT=10
that one is for the murder.

(I can pull up the other 2 charges if needed.)

click the link. He's had a few court dates and appearances already. Notice that the style of the case says State of Florida vs. Michael Giovo. His bond reduction was withdrawn and he is still in jail because his bail is set really high. On top of that, I really don't think they're going to let him go because he is being held for ICE which means he's probably going to be a runner. So really, I dug, and there's the info, what more do you want?!?! Are you that blind?

 

[Tazzzz]

He has been arrested but has not been charged by the state. You need to dig a little deeper before you place your so called facts on here.

Geez, stop acting like a little child, he has been arrested with a probable cause warrant, appointed a lawyer and awaits a trial by jury. No he hasn't been found guilty yet.

Both you and Michael have a serious case of Denial. They have a 12 step program that can help you cope with your problum. If you like we can find the nearest one for you.

Denial is a defense mechanism in which a person is faced with a fact that is too uncomfortable to accept and rejects it instead, insisting that it is not true despite what may be overwhelming evidence.

[1] The subject may deny the reality of the unpleasant fact altogether (simple denial), admit the fact but deny its seriousness or admit both the fact and seriousness but deny responsibility (transference). The concept of denial is particularly important to the study of addiction.

The theory of denial was first researched seriously by Anna Freud. She classified denial as a mechanism of the immature mind, because it conflicts with the ability to learn from and cope with reality.

 

[supastar79]

Wow...

F250.... At first I thought you were just an idiot but now after reading your posts I feel sorry for you. It must be terrible to be so stupid that you can't see the forest for the trees. Your friend, boyfriend, son (whoever) he is to you, has been charged with the murder of his son. Whether he is guilty will now be decided by a jury of his peers. For your sake, I hope they pick morons because no one with an ounce of commom sense will let this guy off.

FYI: I am speaking from expirence, I had a child who passed away from Shaken Baby Syndrome (babysitter) and the injuries can in no way be caused from a short distance fall like the one the father claims happen! Wake up and get a clue!!

 

[F250GulfportFlorida]

Small minds

I guess I could say thanks for all the replies. But I did not need all the name calling. I know this young man, and can assure you he did NOT kill his son. I do believe in the court system, and feel certain he will be found NOT guilty. I personally feel that if this child was shaken, it had to have been done by someone at the party the family was at the day the baby started acting strange, having seizures. There were around 25 people at the house. Lets hope I am right and everyone else is wrong.

Just standing by my friend.

 

[Spitfire77]

I guess I could say thanks for all the replies. But I did not need all the name calling. I know this young man, and can assure you he did NOT kill his son. I do believe in the court system, and feel certain he will be found NOT guilty. I personally feel that if this child was shaken, it had to have been done by someone at the party the family was at the day the baby started acting strange, having seizures. There were around 25 people at the house. Lets hope I am right and everyone else is wrong.

Just standing by my friend.

And who is going to stand by Skyler?