A Lee County sheriff's detective faces several charges and suspension after authorities say she threatened a friend with a knife.
Detective Erin Ortino, 35, faces one count of battery causing bodily harm and one count of simple assault, intentionally threatening to do violence, court records indicate. Both charges are misdemeanors.
According to the Lee County Sheriff's Office, just before 10 p.m. March 17, Lee County deputies responded to Ortino's home, which remains redacted in the report. They spoke with three witnesses, who said Ortino kicked and spat on one of the victims and threatened their friend with a knife.
Authorities noted that after Ortino had dinner with an undisclosed victim in Naples, consuming several alcoholic beverages. Her companion left the restaurant around 4:30 p.m. to return home.
Later that evening, Ortino attempted to drive home, leading her father to tackle her to the ground to prevent her from driving intoxicated, the arrest affidavit says.
The arrest report notes that as Ortino waited for a ride home, her family and friends hid her work gun and personal firearms, adding that it's not the first time they take those steps. They also protected a dog at the home, the report says.
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When she arrived home, Ortino reportedly walked toward her bedroom dresser drawer, where she kept a firearm.
Ortino then grabbed a woman by her T-shirt "so she couldn't leave the room," according to the report. Both then fell to the ground and Ortino threatened to kill everyone present, the report says.
Ortino attempted to kick and spit at the woman as she held the deputy's arms. The woman then took Ortino out of the house for a walk.
The report notes that while Ortino retrieved a knife from a vehicle, pointing and threatening the woman.
When deputies detained Ortino, they said they couldn't find the knife.
In a statement, Sheriff Carmine Marceno wrote that at the time of her arrest Ortino was assigned to the Criminal Investigation Bureau as a School Threat Enforcement Team investigator and has been employed with the Lee County Sheriff’s Office since 2019. She was previously assigned to the Patrol Bureau.
Ortino is on unpaid leave pending the outcome of the criminal and internal investigation, Marceno wrote.
"As I’ve stated before, abuse of any kind is not tolerated," Marceno's statement reads in part. "My team will work with the State Attorney’s Office to review all angles of this investigation."
Ortino was booked into the Lee County Jail March 17 and released that afternoon on $1,000 bond. She's next due in court April 16 for her arraignment. Her address and phone number are redacted from public disclosure because of Marsy's Law, which implies that law enforcement are treated similar to victims in criminal cases.
The Florida Supreme Court in November 2023 held that Marsy’s Law can't be used to hide the identities of law enforcement who use deadly force. A public records search yielded a possible phone number for Ortino, but she didn't immediately answer the call.
Tomas Rodriguez is a Breaking/Live News Reporter for the Naples Daily News and The News-Press. You can reach Tomas at TRodriguez@gannett.com or 772-333-5501. Connect with him on Threads @tomasfrobeltran, Instagram @tomasfrobeltran and Facebook @tomasrodrigueznews.
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