Police wait days before alerting public to dangerous home invasion

A public safety concern as a dangerous man is out on the streets.

Fort Myers Police Department notified us of a terrifying home invasion – five days after it happened. We want to know why it took so long, but FMPD will not tell us.

The sketch shows a thin man, wearing black clothes. He also had on a black and grey hat. People in a quiet Fort Myers neighborhood called last Thursday’s break-in upsetting and described the suspect as violent.

But police are only telling us all the doors to the house were locked; the suspect did not get away with anything; and, they found an open car trunk when they arrived at the scene.

When we asked about the crime being violent, FMPD said no comment.

Pam Saey, an attorney and professor of Justice Studies at Florida Gulf Coast University, said the information is important for the public to protect the public.

“It is a public safety issue,” Saey said, “because you have the potential for that perpetrator, that bad guy, to do this again.”

MORE: Fort Myers Police release sketch of home burglary suspect

Fort Myers police said the victim in the break-in invoked Marsy’s Law, which protects their identity but not the facts of the case. FMPD said they cannot comment citing the law.

“The failure to provide details,” Saey said, “that is not a protection under Marsy’s law.”

FMPD ignored our second request for an on-camera interview.

We also reached out to Council Member Kevin Anderson who in an email agreed if this was a violent offense, people should be aware. We will continue to press for more details on the case to keep you safe.

In the meantime, if you have any information on who the person in the sketch is, call the police.