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June 19, 2006

Carpio trial: Girlfriend tells of alarming behavior / Photo

Journal photo / Andrew Dickerman
Esteban Carpio's girlfriend, Samein Phin, testifies today as the defense in Carpio's trial for the murder of a Providence police detective begins its case in Superior Court.

PROVIDENCE -- Samein Phin testified today that she had grown alarmed by the behavior of her boyfriend, Esteban Carpio, in the days before he is accused of shooting a city detective inside police headquarters.

Phin said he would talk to himself and to his hand and recalled him saying, "I'm the finest gold."

"He was telling me that somebody did voodoo on him and he was scared," said Phin, 24, who described herself as a retired escort and streetwalker as well as the mother of Carpio's 4-year-old daughter.

Phin, of Cambodian descent, said she took Carpio to a Buddhist temple to pray for help. A monk blessed a string that Carpio tied around his waist to drive away the devil and evil spirits, Phin said.

When police came to her home to question Carpio about the stabbing of an elderly woman in April 2005, Phin said she warned the detectives that Carpio was suffering a nervous breakdown, was having trouble sleeping and was not in his right mind.

She said she gave the same information to Detective Sgt. James L. Allen during a brief conversation at police headquarters and that the detective offered to get Carpio help if he needed it.

Carpio is on trial for shooting Allen at police headquarters during an interview several hours later, on April 16, 2005.

-- Associated Press

Posted by Kate Bramson  at 2:15 PM | Permalink

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