Rage in Fallbrook Alleged Kidnapping Fueled by Meth: Suspect

From behind bars at the Vista Detention Facility, Joseph Smith explained his actions seen in NBC 7’s exclusive cell phone video

A man in custody, accused of kidnapping and assault with a deadly weapon in a Fallbrook, says his rage was fueled in part by methamphetamine in a jailhouse interview with NBC 7. 

From behind bars at the Vista Detention Facility, Joseph Smith explained his actions seen in NBC 7’s exclusive cell phone video.

Through the visitor’s glass, we showed the 22-year-old-man video of Monday’s alleged incident.

It was around 5:10 p.m. when Smith went inside the home, where a babysitter was taking care of the 3-year-old girl.

Bat in one hand, Smith can be seeing throwing the daughter of his on-again, off-again girlfriend over his shoulder before walking away.

“I had to get the child out of there,” he explained to NBC 7.

Smith says all he wanted to do was protect the toddler from what her babysitter was allegedly doing.

“She had something up to her face with a straw. I don’t know if it was cocaine or whatever, and she was doing something in front of that child. That’s not cool. That was my snapping point,” Smith said.

Smith admits that part of that rage was fueled by meth and what he saw Monday when he returned to his Fallbrook apartment. It was ransacked and burglarized.

“I had a television and a $5,000 computer missing from my house," he said.

Smith says he went to his ex-girlfriend's house on E. Dougherty to confront the man he believes stole his stuff.

Detectives say the beef stemmed from a dispute over money and claim the couple's story of Joseph protecting the child was made up to cover for Joseph's actions.

"I don’t have to cover up, because I know the truth," exclaimed the child's mother, Julia Rupinger. “I know what’s going on, and he didn’t kidnap her. He literally brought her to me from the house.”

Smith is not the child's biological father or legal guardian. Rupinger admits their relationship is complicated.

Smith fled the scene in the vehicle with two women – later identified as Breanna Pauline Roskop and Taylor Hood, authorities say.

On Tuesday, investigators tracked the suspects to Hood’s residence in the Camp Pendleton De Luz housing complex. Hood is related to an active-duty Marine who is not involved in the crime, authorities say.

Smith, Hood and Roskop were taken into custody with the help of NCIS and the USMC Criminal Investigations Division. Sheriff's officials say they were booked into the Vista Detention Facility on charges related to kidnapping, conspiracy, burglary and assault.

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