A performer in The Villages found herself in a real-life drama after a wild brawl at RJ Gator’s and a subsequent meltdown at the county jail.
Diane Capasso, 68, of the Village of Piedmont, was arrested Friday on multiple felony battery charges following a two-act ruckus that culminated with her hurling her fake eyelashes at a corrections officer.
The drama began at about 5 p.m. Friday, July 3, at RJ Gator’s at Lake Sumter Landing. Deputies responded to a physical disturbance where Capasso, who performed in a 2024 production of “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels,” initially claimed she was the victim. She told law enforcement that she had “ongoing issues” with another woman and that a man had randomly walked up, grabbed her by the neck, and slammed her against a wall before the pair began mocking her.
However, video surveillance and witness testimony quickly flipped the script.
According to the arrest report, footage showed Capasso randomly walking up to the female victim and striking her across the face with an open hand, followed by a slap to the arm. The male victim jumped up to break up the fight, pinning Capasso against a wall to protect the woman.
After the parties were separated, the two victims went inside the restaurant. Capasso provided an encore, following them inside where she slapped the man and tried to grab him before walking away.
The female victim suffered redness and bruising on her arm and shoulder, while the male victim had swelling under his eye and a bruised thumb. When questioned, Capasso reportedly told deputies it “was not wrong” that she put her hands on the woman, but argued it was wrong for the man to put his hands on her. She was deemed the primary aggressor and taken into custody.
Act two took place at about 6:24 p.m. when Capasso arrived at the Sumter County Detention Center.
According to a second arrest report, Capasso became highly indignant as she was taken out of the patrol car. She began kicking the cruiser and, while still handcuffed behind her back, managed to grab a female correctional officer by the stomach and refused to let go. The officer was forced to take Capasso to the ground and call for backup units.
Once inside the intake room for a pat-down, the correctional officer noted that Capasso’s false eyelashes were hanging off her face and told the performer she was going to remove them. Instead, Capasso ripped the eyelashes off herself and hurled them at the officer, striking her in the torso.
Capasso was booked on two felony counts of battery on a person 65 years of age or older, and one felony count of battery on a law enforcement officer. She was released after posting $1,500 bond.