Staff report
NEWBERRY, Fla. – Dahlia Shanta Coney, age 45, was taken into custody last night after reportedly threatening to kill an Uber Eats driver due to dissatisfaction with the delay and a missing beverage.
An Uber Eats driver recounted to Alachua County Sheriff’s Deputies that on June 15 around 10:06 p.m., he was tasked with delivering an order to Coney. He stated that a text argument had already commenced with Coney before his arrival, as she was unhappy with the delivery time.
Upon reaching Coney’s residence in Tara Greens, the driver explained that the argument continued, with Coney expressing frustration over his lateness and the absence of a drink in the order. The driver mentioned that he requested details necessary to finalize the order, at which point Coney started recording a video and shouting.
The driver said Coney reached into her purse and pulled out a “black handgun with a red laser attached” and then started waving it around and threatening to kill him if he did not leave.
The responding deputies spoke with Coney and reported that she made spontaneous statements to them about firearms and an argument with the driver.
Post Miranda, Coney reportedly admitted threatening the driver. She later reportedly said that although she did not have a handgun, she called out to a non-existent person inside her home, saying, “Grab my pistol, grab my pistol!” to keep the argument from progressing further.
Witnesses reportedly said they heard a woman yelling outside at the time of the incident.
Deputies applied for a search warrant for Coney’s home and reportedly found a black BB gun without an orange tip in Coney’s bedroom closet; the report states that the gun is “very realistic” and “resembles a real firearm.” The deputy noted that post Miranda, Coney denied having any firearms, BB guns, or anything resembling a firearm in her home.
Coney has six felony convictions (one violent) and three misdemeanor convictions (non-violent). She is on probation for willful child abuse and is a designated Violent Felony Offender of Special Concern. Judge Aymer “Buck” Curtin ordered her held without bail pending a hearing on a motion from the State Attorney’s office to hold her without bail until trial; if the judge denies the motion, bail will be set at that hearing.
Articles about arrests are based on reports from law enforcement agencies. The charges listed are taken from the arrest report and/or court records and are only accusations. All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
