Teen Forced To Drive Woman Around Lido Beach Area At Gunpoint: Police

SARASOTA, FL — A Fort Myers woman faces charges after pointing a gun at a 16-year-old girl at Lido Beach and forcing her to drive the woman to an area business just before 10 p.m. Wednesday, police said.

Dina Wilson, 61, is being held at the Sarasota County Jail on charges of false imprisonment, according to a news release from Sarasota police.

The victim told police that she drove to Lido Beach to watch the sunset. As she opened her trunk, Wilson approached her and asked for jumper cables, police said. When the girl didn’t have any, the suspect asked a couple nearby, who also didn’t have any jumper cables, police said.

The girl said that Wilson then pulled a small gun from her right side and held it where the teen could see it. The woman told the teen to drive her to her car at South Lido Beach, police said.

After they arrived at South Lido Beach, police said, Wilson got out of the victim’s car and left the passenger door open. She dug around her car, then got back into the girl’s car, police said.

Wilson told the teen to take her to get food and made the girl to drive her to a convenience store in the 1000 block of North Tamiami Trail in Sarasota, police reported. When the woman went inside, the victim sent text messages to a friend saying she was being forced to drive Wilson around while being threatened with a gun, police said, and her friend called 911.

Before they headed back to the Lido Beach area, the girl told her friend they were going there. SPD told the officer at South Lido Park, who had just locked the entry gate, that the victim was returning to the park and driving a gray SUV.

Moments later, a gray SUV pulled into the park through the exit gate and drove toward the officer’s patrol car. The officer drove toward the SUV, stopped the vehicle and ordered Wilson out of the passenger seat, police said. She was arrested and taken to Sarasota police headquarters.

Detectives believe this was an isolated incident and there is no threat to the public. Wilson is being held at the Sarasota County Jail on a $250,000 bond.