Community Wants Charges Dropped

There is a new push on in a South Jersey community to get criminal charges dropped against Jasmine Karo, the teenager accused of stabbing her father, Alan Karo, to death. Neighbors and family not only want to get the murder charges reduced, they want to try to get the charges dropped entirely because it was a case of self-defense.

Joe Boccaleri and others said they knew Karo as a heavy drinker who could be abusive.

"He beat his wife up all the time or his girlfriend. I'm not surprised (the shooting happened.)," Boccaleri said.

Jasmine was freed from jail Friday night after prosecutor Vincent Sarubbi agreed to a bail reduction, and the community was able to raise the money.

Crossing guard Theresa Graham knew of Jasmine's abusive home and said that she cried last Wednesday hearing of her arrest.

"I feel much better to see her home. That's where she belongs. She's a lovely child and no child should have to go through that," Graham said.

Jasmine told NBC 10 News Saturday that she is grateful for the community's confidence in her. "I'm scared. Yeah, I'm scared. But a lot of people tell me I have a lot of support behind me."

Jasmine's mother, Margaret Smiley, wants to keep her free and she wants to regain custody of her 12-year-old daughter, Priscilla, who was moved out of the house by state officials.

Smiling said Alan Karo had attacked her, as well.

Attorneys Richard Josselson and Richard DePersia say Jasmine's murder charge is wrong.

"I want the charges dismissed. That's what we'd ultimately like, is the charges dismissed," Josselson said.

"Now we have to confront the issues which put her in jail in the first place," DePersia said.

Article continues below

---

advertisement

---

Author: Copyright 2002 by NBC 10. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.