Mass. terror suspect had troubled past

BOSTON (MyFoxBoston.com) -- The son of a Boston police captain remains in custody, following an appearance in federal court. The FBI says Alexander Ciccolo had a plan to attack a college campus cafeteria with guns and a pressure cooker bomb. On Wednesday, FOX25's Ted Daniel dug through documents, learning more about his troubled history, before the ISIS-inspired plot was exposed.

The 22-year-old is accused of plotting to kill in support of Islamic extremists. We don't know exactly what sent him over the edge, but documents we examined from the bitter custody battle between his parents reveals that his behavioral problems began at a young age.

Police Captain Robert Ciccolo Jr. and his wife, Shelley Reardon, divorced in 1998 when Alex was 6 years old. Shelley was given primary custody of Alex, but around the time he turned 13, Robert petitioned to have the teen live with him.

In his custody filing, Robert argued that Alex desperately needed psychological help but his mother wouldn't allow it. He cited multiple problems Alex was having in Wareham.

In the 2003-2004 academic year, Alex was suspended from school multiple times for academic and behavioral issues. In the spring of 2005, Alex faced expulsion from school for striking a teacher and a classmate with a pair of drumsticks. In December of 2005, Wareham police arrested Alex after he threatened to kill another student with a butterfly knife.

The problems continued after he moved in with his dad in Needham. In July of 2006, on his 14th birthday, Alex had what his dad describes as a violent and destructive outburst and was taken by ambulance for psychiatric treatment at Newton-Wellesley Hospital.

Alex was on medication for ADHD as a teen, but we do not know if he was taking that same medication as an adult.

Cox Media Group