Arrest made in connection with missing Navarre woman Cassie Carli

UPDATED: Apr. 2, 2022 at 8:43 PM CDT

NAVARRE, Fla. (WALA) - Marcus Spanevelo has been arrested in connection with the disappearance of Cassie Carli, who has been missing since March 27, the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office announced on its Facebook page.

Spanevelo was arrested by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigations and the Tennessee Highway Patrol in Lebanon, Tenn., where he is being held on charges of tampering with evidence, giving false information concerning a missing persons investigation and destruction of evidence, according to the sheriff’s office.

“Usually, you don’t go four days without hearing from them or them using a credit card or a cell phone or something,” said Sheriff Bob Johnson of Santa Rosa County. “Right as of now, we have none of that.”

Spanevelo was arrested based on an SRCSO Major Crimes warrant.

Spanevelo and Carli share a daughter and the child is safe, authorities said.

Meanwhile, the desperate search for Carli continues, officials said.

“They’re a strong family,” said Stacy Porter, friend of Cassie’s. “Cassie is probably one of the strongest women I’ve known. If you knew her history and the things she’s overcome in her life, you would think wow, this woman is wonder woman. Just holding on to hope that we’re gonna find Cassie and be able to bring her home.”

According to a GoFundMe page set up by Cassie’s sister, their father received a text from Cassie’s phone shortly after meeting Spanevelo, which stated she was having car problems. Though the family has reason to believe it was not sent by Cassie.

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Published: Mar. 31, 2022 at 4:10 PM CDT

NAVARRE, Fla. (WALA) - The Santa Rosa County Sheriff revealed new details about the disappearance of a Navarre woman.

Family members have not heard from Cassie Carli since Sunday, March 27.

Sheriff Bob Johnson said Carli was last seen at Juana’s Pagodas, a restaurant in Navarre Beach, when she was there to meet with the father of her child. Investigators said Carli agreed to meet Marcus Spanevelo there to exchange custody of their three-year-old child.

On Monday, family members reported Carli missing. Deputies went to the restaurant and found her car parked there with her purse still inside, but no sign of Carli.

“We consider her missing/endangered. In other words, we don’t know what happened to her. We don’t have evidence specifically pointing to homicide, an abduction, or any of those,” Sheriff Johnson said. “We just know the way she has gone missing concerns us greatly.”

Spanevelo was located in Birmingham on Wednesday. He had the child with him and the daughter is safe, the sheriff said. Investigators went to Birmingham and questioned Spanevelo about Carli’s disappearance. The sheriff did not reveal what was said in that interview.

The sheriff said the FBI and Florida Department of Law Enforcement are assisting in the search.

Anyone who has any additional information about Cassie Carli is asked to call 850-983-1190.

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