‘Bizarre situation’: Woman drove from Maine to Sarasota to kill man and run away with his wife, deputies say

SARASOTA COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) – A 27-year-old woman is being held in the Sarasota County jail on a slew of charges after deputies say she broke into a Venice home, attacked a man inside with a machete and led police on a chase into Charlotte County just after midnight Sunday.

The sheriff’s office says Alana Gibson told deputies she drove from Maine to Sarasota County to go forward with the attack on the man. Deputies say she broke through a window armed with multiple weapons.

“When interviewed, Gibson explained that she had worked with the man’s wife, had become infatuated with her and had decided after moving away that she would return, kill her husband and convince her to run away with her,” Lt. Craig Fairly with the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office said.

Deputies say they found several weapons belonging to Gibson inside the home.

“The initial weapon that she had planned to use was a bow and arrow. That was left in the house. We also found a small ax which, as far as we know, wasn’t used and the machete that was used,” Lt. Fairly said.

Gibson allegedly told investigators she stopped in a remote area on her way to the neighborhood to target practice with her bow and arrow.

People living in the Venice neighborhood were shocked learning what happened.

“You just don’t get any trouble down here,” neighbor Frank Vecchio said. “I am happy that the cops got her. Nobody knows what goes through people’s minds. She brought a machete, an ax and a bow and arrow – really.”

“It is a bizarre situation but there’s really not much more to it than simply an infatuation and obviously a somewhat bizarre idea that this would result in her convincing the target of her infatuation to go away with her,” Lt. Fairly explained.

Investigators say as far as they know, there was no relationship between the two women other than being co-workers in the past.

“She had moved back up north. There were no previous reports to us. We are getting no indication they had any concerns about their safety or her infatuation,” Lt. Fairly said.

The 27-year-old made her first appearance before a judge in Sarasota County on Tuesday afternoon. She is charged with attempted first-degree murder, battery, burglary and fleeing to elude. Gibson is being held without bond and her arraignment is scheduled for January 2021.