Justice for 2 year old rape and murder victim, Ariana.

  • by: Marilyn Mesmer
  • recipient: Camden County Prosecutor Mary Eva Colalillo

The Camden County Prosecutor's Office needs to punish Amber Bobo (26 Gloucester City, New Jersey) with more than just a charge of 2nd degree Endangering the Welfare of a Child. It does not do her daughter Ariana any justice! We want Amber Bobo to share in the 1st degree murder charge Prosecutors have charged her boyfriend, Michael Disporto (22 Manahawkin, New Jersey) of 2 weeks with.

The facts:

Amber Bobo and Michael Disporto obtained Ariana from her father's home in Cape May County on the evening of July 2nd 2016 and took her back to Bobo's apartment in Gloucester City, New Jersey.

Less than 24 hours later on July 3rd, Ariana was fighting for life in the Trauma Unit at Cooper University Hospital. Ariana was suffering with bleeding and swelling of the brain, which required immediate surgery, bruised lungs, a broken arm, injuries to her genitalia consistent with sexual assault, and blood and urine were found in her abdomen.

2 days later, on July 5th, Ariana's father, Robert Smyth had to make the hardest and most heart wrenching decision a loving father could ever make. Ariana was taken off of life support after tests, done on 2 separate times, showed Ariana did not have any brain activity. She succumbed to her injuries at 6:26 p.m. Her 2nd birthday was only 10 days away.

During the short time Ariana was with her mother, Amber Bobo allowed her boyfriend of only 2 weeks, Michael Disporto, to spend alone time with Ariana so he could, as he stated, "get to know her better." On the evening of July 2nd, Disporto took Ariana to a park and later to see fireworks. Bobo stayed behind both times claiming she was "too tired to go."

After Disporto returned with Ariana, Bobo took her into their bedroom where they share a bed to put her to sleep. Bobo then went into the living room with Disporto and watched t.v. until around 11 p.m. then joined Ariana in bed.

Around 7 a.m. on July 3rd, Amber awoke to find Ariana not in bed, but instead out on the couch wrapped in a blanket asleep. Bobo stated it was unusual for Ariana to have awoke in the night and to leave the room without Bobo. Bobo said at this time, Disporto was outside smoking a cigarette. Bobo returned to bed.

When Bobo unwrapped the toddler from the blanket two hours later, she found her daughter was bruised on both sides of her forehead and was wearing a different outfit than the one she was wearing when Bobo put her to bed. Disporto first denied knowledge of the injuries, and then said the toddler must've fallen in the park. He refused Bobo's suggestion to take Ariana to the hospital and instead said to put ice on the bruises and let her sleep.

Bobo only noticed the bruises on Ariana's back and genital area when she went to bathe Ariana at 11 a.m., since Disporto earlier insisted on changing the toddler's diaper.

When confronted about the bruises, Disporto again denied knowledge and convinced Bobo not to seek medical attention for Ariana since he was worried "what people would think."

Instead, the pair took Ariana to the Deptford Mall, where they covered her bruises with a hat despite the 80-degree weather. Ariana began to vomit at about noon.

They returned home two hours later to give the toddler, who then vomited again, another bath and change her clothes before they returned to the mall and shopped until 3:30 p.m.

After arriving home again, Bobo noticed her daughter's eyes rolling back in her head. Ariana had vomited a third time and was motionless. Disporto again rebuffed Bobo's attempts to take Ariana to the hospital, stating she was "just tired" and after Bobo insisted, said he would never see Bobo again.

Ariana was unresponsive when EMTs arrived at about 6 p.m. to take her to Cooper University Hospital, where she was found to have bleeding and fluid on her brain, bruising and swelling consistent with sexual assault, a broken arm, bruising and fluid in the lungs and both blood and urine in her abdomen.

She was rushed into brain surgery, but after doctors could not detect any brain activity two separate times on Tuesday, July 5, she was taken off life support and died at 6:26 p.m.

Now that you know the facts as per a probable cause statement released by Camden County Detectives, please help us overturn the Prosecutor's Office decision to only charge Amber Bobo with just a 2nd degree charge of Endangering the Welfare of a Child. As you can clearly see, Amber Bobo cared more for her boyfriend than her own child. She allowed Ariana to suffer for nearly 12 hours with obvious signs of having a head injury from being beaten and bruised genitals consistent with rape!

We need Justice for Ariana!

Update #17 years ago
Update! 6ABC and Nancy Grace have been contacted! I will post updates on that as they become available!
Sign Petition
Sign Petition
You have JavaScript disabled. Without it, our site might not function properly.

Privacy Policy

By signing, you accept Care2's Terms of Service.
You can unsub at any time here.

Having problems signing this? Let us know.