North Naples woman arrested after slapping teenager over car in handicap spot

Reporter: Taylor Smith Writer: Jack Lowenstein
Published: Updated:
Donna Marie Forgays, 58. Credit: Collier County Sheriff’s Office.

A fight over a handicap spot in Collier County ended with someone getting slapped in the face. Investigators say a woman got heated over it, so she hit a teenager. The woman’s family says all she wants is for people to follow the rules.

Thursday, Collier County Sheriff’s Office arrested Donna Marie Forgays, 58, at her apartment in North Naples after she slapped a 17-year-old girl, telling deputies they should have never parked in her parking spot.

Deputies responded to the apartments after Forgays was reported to CCSO. Deputies are told Forgays confronted a teen over a handicap spot in the parking lot of the apartments. During an argument, the juvenile told deputies Forgays yelled obscenities at her before slapping her face.

Deputies visited Forgays at her home. When Forgays opened the door to the responding deputy, she is quoted saying, “I know why you are here. I did something really bad. I hit her.”

Forgays’ family was shocked to hear about her arrest and said it’s outside her normal behavior.

“We’ve always been best friends,” said Jeremy Jordan, Forgay’s nephew. “I actually cried because she’s not that type of person,” Jordan said.

Jordan went on to say his aunt wanted respect for others.

Neighbors say they heard the fight Thursday night.

“We were home sitting on the couch, and, all the sudden, I heard some argument outside,” neighbor Matt Raymond said. “And I was like, ‘Honey, someone’s yelling out there.’”

“It was more like a, ‘Hey, what are you doing?’ type of thing,” neighbor Crystal Raymond said.

The arrest report shows Forgays was upset with the teenager for a car parked in a handicap spot near her home. Forgays’ nephew said the vehicle shouldn’t have been there.

“I’m pretty sure they didn’t have a handicap sticker,” Jordan said.

Forgays is accused of hitting the teenager after the conversation did not end amicably, but Jordan said his aunt’s accused actions are unlike her.

“Her being violent is not in her character, and her being angry to hit someone also is not in her character,” Jordan said.

Neighbors also agree Forgays is known to be a welcomed neighbor in their community.

“She’s very nice,” Matt Raymond said. “We actually helped her get her cat out of the tree.”

When we asked the teenager if she would speak to us, she declined to comment.

Forgays faces a charge for cruelty toward a child, abusing a child without great bodily harm.

Forgays was taken to Collier County jail and posted a $5,000 bond.

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