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Ayla Reynolds: Missing toddler's mom mounts campaign

Ayla Reynolds disappeared in December 2011 from the home of her father, Justin DiPietro. On Wednesday, Ayla Reynolds' mom and friends yelled at him outside a Maine courthouse. Ayla Reynold's mom is trying to pressure  prosecutors to bring charges against DiPietro.

  • By Staff Associated Press

| Portland, Maine

Two days after going public with evidence she said police told her about her missing daughter, Trista Reynolds and her supporters screamed at and chased the girl's father following an unrelated court appearance.

Justin DiPietro on Wednesday pleaded guilty and was sentenced to four days in jail for violating conditions of his release in connection with his July arrest for allegedly assaulting a former girlfriend in Portland. Prosecutors dropped the assault charge itself, telling the judge that the ex-girlfriend was uncooperative.

As DiPietro walked out of the Portland courthouse with his lawyer, Trista Reynolds and about a dozen supporters ran after him down a street and through a parking garage.

DiPietro and his court-appointed attorney ducked into the Portland police station where the crowd surrounded them and called him names, including "murderer," and shouted "Where's Ayla?"

DiPietro looked away and stayed composed until he eventually took off running. Reynolds and others gave chase before giving up.

Ayla Reynolds disappeared in December 2011 from the Waterville home where DiPietro, who had custody of her, was living with his mother.

Her body has not been found and she is presumed dead. Investigators have said they suspect foul play and that DiPietro and others in the house the night before she was reported missing haven't been totally forthcoming.

In hopes of pressuring prosecutors to bring charges against DiPietro, Trista Reynolds for the past two weeks has been releasing details she says police told her about Ayla's blood being found in multiple spots inside the DiPietro home.

The Bangor Daily News reports that Trista Reynolds held a short press conference outside the courthouse before DiPietro’s appearance before the judge.

“I’ve lost some faith in the state police,” she said, adding that she wasn’t contacted by police after she went public Monday with information on the investigation of Ayla’s disappearance. On websites called United4Ayla.com and justiceforayla.blogspot.com, Reynolds and supporters who maintain the sites said investigators told them that Ayla’s blood was found in multiple locations in and around the Waterville home where she was reported missing by Justin DiPietro on Dec. 17, 2011.

DiPietro has said he has no idea what happened to his daughter or who is responsible. He declined to comment Wednesday outside the courthouse.

Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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