A couple was robbed by a thief with a knife, who also forced them to drop him off at a hotel. John Pankavich and his wife, Joan, say they were sleeping Sunday morning when a man woke them up in their bedroom around 4 a.m.
The couple says the suspect, Brett Wentela, waived a knife at them inside their Thompson Avenue home, holding the couple for four hours. According to an arrest report, Wentela took $600 in cash, a $600 laptop, a $500 class ring and six pairs of boxer shorts.
Deputies say the suspect then forced the couple to drive him to the Wonderland Motel in North Fort Myers. A detailed description by the Pankaviches and other witnesses led investigators to Wentela who is being charged with kidnapping and home invasion with a weapon.