Amaria Grant employer reacts to arrest of her alleged killer

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Ken Farino says police called him early Friday morning to tell him the man linked to his nanny’s death was arrested.

Police arrested Rupert Harty on an unrelated charge late Thursday evening. During the investigation, however, detectives say Harty confessed to the murder of Amaria Grant.

Harty told detectives that voices in his head told him to kill somebody on December 22. Harty then told police he left his home in his taxi cab, drove about 20 minutes away, got out of his car and shot a woman who was riding along South Olive Avenue.

That woman was Amaria Grant.

Neighbors initially thought the shooting was targeted and that it was the result of domestic violence.

"It was an act of what we thought was a total random shooting, which is really scary because anyone could've been walking down the street," Farino said.

Grant had worked as a nanny for the Farino family since 2004. Farino said the family grew to love the woman, who came from Jamaica. He said Grant was more like family to his wife and three children than an employee and that he is grateful for the efforts made by the West Palm Beach Police Department to catch the alleged killer.

"My family and I will be forever grateful to them (police department) for everything that they've done," Farino said.

As for the man linked to Grant's, Farino said he hopes that if he’s proven guilty, he will spend the rest of his life in prison.

"I think to a large extent it's worse to spend life in prison than to get electrocuted. So he'll have a long time to think about it," Farino said.