BOCA RATON, Fla. — A Boca Raton man was arrested after Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office deputies investigated what they described as a volatile domestic dispute involving allegations of violence, threats, false imprisonment, and escalating paranoia inside an apartment in unincorporated Boca Raton.
According to investigators, deputies responded to a leasing office on May 14 after a woman fled the apartment she shared with her boyfriend and requested help from staff. Deputies said the woman appeared visibly shaken, crying, and fearful when they arrived.
The arrest report states the couple originally met in Massachusetts in October 2025 and quickly began living together. Investigators said the woman later moved to Bangkok, Thailand, while the suspect remained in Massachusetts receiving treatment for substance addiction. According to the report, the suspect later contacted her claiming he had turned his life around and convinced her to relocate to South Florida roughly three weeks before the incident.
Deputies said the relationship soon became increasingly unstable. The woman told investigators the suspect frequently accused her of cheating and became paranoid, allegedly believing she was secretly communicating through lights and hand gestures. According to the report, the suspect became enraged after believing she had gotten into another man’s vehicle earlier in the day while supposedly heading to the bank.
Investigators said the suspect allegedly confronted her when she returned home and accused her of being unfaithful. During the argument, the woman claimed he slapped her across the face, blocked her from leaving the apartment for hours, and threatened violence if she attempted to escape or contact law enforcement.
According to deputies, the woman said she was so frightened that she sat crying on a bathroom mat while the suspect paced throughout the apartment making threats and telling her she would not be allowed to leave. She also referenced prior violence in the relationship, including a previous domestic disturbance documented by PBSO on April 29, 2026, in which she alleged the suspect kicked her and bit her ear before leaving before deputies arrived.
When deputies later interviewed the suspect, he denied physically assaulting the woman but admitted the two had argued over accusations of cheating. According to the report, he claimed he followed her earlier in the day and believed he saw her enter another man’s vehicle. Deputies stated the suspect admitted telling the woman she was “not gonna leave” during the confrontation, though he denied threatening her or physically restraining her.
Investigators also noted the suspect admitted consuming numerous alcoholic beverages throughout the day. While deputies reported there were no major visible injuries, they said the woman’s emotional state, the consistency of her statements, and the prior documented domestic incident contributed to establishing probable cause for the arrest.
Following the investigation, 39-year-old Decio Candido was arrested and booked into the Palm Beach County Jail on charges including domestic battery and false imprisonment.
Mr. Candido should be considered innocent unless proven guilty by a court of law.