Deputies still searching for armed robber who attacked woman near Fort Myers Beach

Reporter: Dannielle Garcia
Published:
(Credit: Southwest Florida Crime Stoppers)

An armed robber is still on the run after stealing from a woman on her way home from work near Fort Myers Beach.

The incident happened in the area of 18100 San Carlos Boulevard on Tuesday night.

The Lee County Sheriff’s Office and SWFL Crime Stoppers believe the man had an accomplice.

On Thursday, SWFL Crime Stoppers released a video of two vehicles that were possibly involved.

And the Lee County Sheriff’s Office wants to talk to the drivers of the white cars or anyone who saw the people in the cars in question.

Deputies believe one of the vehicles may have witnessed the crime.

The woman was walking northbound on San Carlos Boulevard when she was approached by a man wearing a black ski mask who demanded money.

“When this guy comes up from behind, he’s got a mask on. So she doesn’t recognize anything about him,” said SWFL Crime Stoppers Coordinator Trish Routte.

The woman complied with the demands but the man hit her on the head with a handgun.

Routte said the woman did the right thing by giving the man her purse.

“Somebody who was in the area may have seen something,” Routte said.

It was a “very violent attack,” Routte said.

“She didn’t try to fight them, she just wanted him to leave her alone. But even after giving the guy her purse, and everything she had, he still hit her on the head with his gun before taking off,” Routte said.

Robert Leisure, owner of Getaway Marina, said because of crimes like this, he takes precautions with his employees.

“If it’s really late at night we watch them go out into the parking lot such as some of the restaurants do,” Leisure said.

The woman who was pistolwhipped has a bump on her head but is otherwise OK.

If anyone has any information or can provide any assistantce with identifying one or both of the vehicles, call Crime Stoppers 24/7 at 1-800-780-TIPS (8477) or submit a tip online at southwestfloridacrimestoppers.com or on the P3Tips mobile app.

All callers remain anonymous and if your tip leads to an arrest, you may be eligible for a cash reward of up to $3,000.

Copyright ©2024 Fort Myers Broadcasting. All rights reserved.

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without prior written consent.