Never a dull day on Fort Myers Beach. The Lee County Sheriff’s Department is reporting that 39-year old James Austin was arrested after he beat up the owner of the Key Estero Shops.
Apparently the landlord was trying to collect money for property damage he says he found at one of his units.
Carmen Naccarato owns Key Estero Shops. His name was not mentioned in the arrest report of Austin.
According to a post on the LCSO Facebook page, Austin punched the landlord in the face and slammed the victim’s car door on his leg. He was not seriously hurt.
The arresting report showed Austin was charged with Burglary and Battery on a person Over 65. A Cash/Surety Bond was set at a total of $9,000 on the two charges. A court date was set for February 7th at 8AM. Austin is listed on the LCSO website as released.
You may recall there have been other issues in this plaza. The town has accused Naccarato of operating an illegal parking lot for years. A good portion of the lot is supposed to be used for customers going to businesses in that plaza. The town says he needs a permit to charge for beach parking. He’s now charging $40 per spot for the day. Naccarato was arrested himself back in 2017 for breach of peace and resisting an officer. Naccarato is 74 years old.