California business Ethan Elder, seen [photo] arriving to visit his son in prison on Thursday, has told how he ‘feared the worst’ for his son Finnegan after seeing the photographs of his arrest in his hotel room, as well as a shot of friend and co-accused Gabriel Natale-Hjorth, blindfolded and chained in a police station

Ethan Elder has told how he ‘feared the worst’ for his son Finnegan after seeing the images of the alleged knife wielder Finnegan Elder being arrested in his hotel room ass well as the photograph of his travelling companion and co-accused Gabriel Natale-Hjorth,  blindfolded and chained in a police station.


Fabrizio Natale recounts the ordeal of hugging and cried with his son Gabriel during an emotional meeting at a jail in central Rome where the two American tourists are being held in connection to the stabbing death of undercover police officer Dep Brigadier Mario Cerciello Rega.
‘We are very upset by the predicament he’s in, but we are all fully convinced of his innocence,’ Fabrizio said.
Elder, 61, said ‘It’s a nightmare. After seeing the picture of Gabriel blindfolded and Fin in the hotel room my wife and I feared the worst for our son.
‘But we have been reassured that he has not been mistreated in any way.’

He said: ‘We are not convinced of how the final phase of the fight has been reconstructed [by the Italian authorities].’
Elder, a wealthy businessman from the affluent Mill Valley enclave of California’s Bay Area, said his wife, Leah, is expected to arrive in Rome within the next 24 hours to offer her support to their troubled son Finnegan.
Meanwhile Fabrizio Natale has revealed how he and his son Gabriel both broke down in tears during their first meeting at the Regina Coeli jail early Wednesday morning.
He said: ‘Me and my son, we hugged and cried together. Our meeting was very moving but also very difficult for both of us.’
Natale, 54, a wealthy financier, also from Mill Valley, California, continued: ‘There is no peace for what happened. We are very upset about the situation he is in but we are all fully convinced about his innocence. 

He added: ‘During recent days I have read many incorrect things about my son. He is a normal kid who is studying to become an architect.
‘He is distraught about the death of the Carabinieri and as a father I can understand his family’s pain.’
Natale, who was born in Italy and brought his son Gabriel to the country every summer to spend time with his grandfather Giuseppe, declined to comment about the ‘blindfolding’ incident.
He said: ‘I’m not commenting about the treatment he suffered at the time of his arrest.
‘I know he suffered this treatment at the moment of the arrest. I know an investigation has been opened by the Rome prosecutor. And therefore, I’m convinced that if rules were broken someone will be held responsible.’

Ethan arrived at the Rome prison Thursday morning for an emotional two and a half hour reunion with his son.
He remained silent as he was ushered into the visitors’ entrance of the Regina Coeli holding jail at 11.25am.
Wearing a green polo shirt and tan chinos the father appearing stressed and concerned about his son’s situation.
The 61-year-old businessman declined to answer questions from more than a dozen journalists from Italy and the US who were awaiting his visit.
His US attorney Craig Peters, who is based in San Francisco and is believed to have traveled to Italy with Elder, left the jail ahead of his client.   

Prosecutors say Elder has confessed to knifing Rega 11 times. The officer later died at a local hospital.
Authorities have said Natale-Hjorth was suspected of fighting with the officer’s partner at the time.


Rega had recently returned from his honeymoon and not been scheduled to work when he and his partner were sent out in plainclothes to work a case involving an alleged extortion attempt over a drug deal, police said.

Italian authorities allege the two teenagers from California were the ones who showed up for a scheduled rendezvous. Investigators allege the officers were attacked immediately after they identified themselves as Carabinieri.
Finnegan Elder attacked Rega with a military-style attack knife he had brought with him from the US.

Prosecutors said police found the knife used in the slaying hidden in the dropped ceiling of the Americans’ hotel room.
Under Italian law, both the defendant who materially carries out a killing and others involved in the crime can each be charged with murder.
The teens have claim that didn’t realize the men were police officers.
According to court documents, Elder told prosecutors during his interrogation he thought he was being strangled in a scuffle with the officer.
But prosecutors said there were no signs of physical injury on either teen.