Community leader doesn’t want attack on delivery driver to define Pine Manor

A pizza delivery driver was robbed on the job, and crooks made off with his phone and money. Those who live in the neighborhood where it happened want the violence to stop. But a community leader says crime is actually down from years ago.

Wednesday night, Lee County deputies responded to the Pine Manor neighbor in south Fort Myers, where a Domino’s Pizza delivery driver was attacked and robbed.

Shari Clark is the neighborhood resource specialist for Pine Manor Community Center, and she told us the goal now is to show good people who live in Pine Manor are making a difference despite this recent crime.

That’s why what happened in the neighborhood is disheartening for leaders such as Clark because she says there are many good people in the neighborhood.

“When the crime rate was high, our delivery companies wouldn’t come in to Pine Manor after dark, and they were actually starting to come back and deliver in the evening times,” Clark said.

Clark works to make Pine Manor a better place to be. She hopes the fact someone used a residential street to jump, pepper spray and rob a Domino’s Pizza driver won’t ruin things for the majority of people who follow the rules and appreciate the delivery service.

“Hopefully it doesn’t impact anything,” Clark said. “The neighborhood really enjoys to have takeout just like everybody else in the city, so it would be nice if they continued.”

Clark told us neighbors don’t see the flashing lights and crime scene tape as much as they used to.

“Our crime rate has actually gone down from 30 reported crimes in a month to the single digits, low teens and single digits,” Clark said.

Clark doesn’t want this recent crime to define the neighborhood or the neighbors she works hard to help.

“There are a lot of good people in this neighborhood,” Clark said.

The general manager of the Domino’s Pizza where the driver works told us he is going to be OK; however, he is out of work because Lee County Sheriff’s Office impounded his car as evidence.

Thursday, Lee County deputies found a 16-year-old male suspect and arrested him for the robbery.