Police: Handyman held woman captive

NORTH PORT (FOX 13) - A 50-year-old man was arrested for holding a 70-year-old woman captive and using a stun gun on her.

"There are a million thoughts that go through your mind when you think you are going to die," said the alleged victim, Mary Corbett. "I thought about my grandchildren, my children."

North Port police say early Wednesday, Anthony "Snake" Brigitzer, who did odd jobs for the victim, wrapped his arms around her and stunned her in the chest with a stun gun. When it didn't render her unconscious, he got upset and bound her feet, hands and chest to a chair with duct tape and demanded money from her while threatening her with a gun.

According to police, Brigitzer was high on meth and said he needed money for drugs.

She says he was a handyman for her, doing intermittent odd-jobs.

"I had these big hedges back there, that's what I would have him do," she said. "He was a normal, regular person."

She told FOX 13 that he had come into the home under the guise that he wanted to tell her a story.

"We sat there, had a nice cup of coffee, chit-chatted like anybody would. Then he asked for a nice glass of water and that's when the whole thing started," Corbett said.

While the woman was tied up, he found her Smith & Wesson .38 revolver under her mattress and $30 in her purse and said, "You barely have any money, you need this more than I do," before tossing the money on the dining room table, police say.

He said, "I am going to tie you up, I am on meth, and I want money," she recalled. "He was kind of waving the gun around. He was walking through the house like he was angry at somebody. I thought at any minute I am going to die."

About eight hours later, he let the victim go and fled in his truck with her gun.

"I did everything he asked me to do. If he said don't move, I did not move. If he asked me a question, I answered it," Corbett said. "He cut me loose at the very end and let me go and left and said if you want to call the police, you can."

Deputies in Lee County caught up with him and he was brought back to North Port where he faces charges of grand theft of a firearm, battery and kidnapping.

He's a convicted felon and was released from prison last August. Now he';s in the Sarasota County Jail without bond.

"He said you are too nice of a person to kill," Corbett said. "He said there is something about you. I can't do it. You are a holy woman."