2015: The Best of Cops Corner

HEY BUD, WHERE YOU GOING?
Jan. 6
6300 block of State Road 64 East

Shoplifting: A cashier told police a man entered a convenience store and left with a case of Bud Light valued at $19.99. He was last seen running southbound down State Road 64 with the case of beer over his head.

NO COMMON SCENTS
Jan. 16
6200 block of State Road 64 East
Shoplifting: A man was observed placing several air fresheners into a bag with paid merchandise. Then he came back into the store and was caught trying to steal a candle off the shelf. He was arrested and transported to jail for stealing $33.22 worth of scents.

SNATCHED PURSE
Feb. 6
4700 block of 35th Court East
Domestic Disturbance: A boyfriend and girlfriend who broke up recently ran into each other and began fighting about the breakup and who cheated on whom. The ex-boyfriend grabbed the purse he bought for his ex-girlfriend, dumped out its contents and left with the purse. The ex-boyfriend agreed to return the purse after talking with police.

PAIR OF SUCKERS
Feb. 6
6200 block of State Road 64 East
Theft: Two men entered a store, grabbed a vacuum from a shelf and then took it to the cashier to return it, receiving $346.13 in cash for an item they never bought.

THEY'LL NEVER SEE IT
March 6
8300 block of Lockwood Ridge Road
Grand Theft: A man entered a store and pulled a stereo out of its box, shoved it in his pants and left the store. A loss prevention officer met up with him in the parking lot and he confessed to the crime immediately and turned over the stereo. He was issued a notice to appear in court for theft.

A THIEF THAT'S NUTS
March 9
12000 block of Aster Avenue, GreyHawk Landing
Theft: A woman reported someone stole a squirrel trap she set up behind her home in her backyard.

HAVE YOU SEEN MY GUN?
April 4
4800 block of 65th Street Court East
Lost Property: A man who usually keeps his gun in his truck, believed he took it out and brought it into his house. He has not seen the gun in more than two weeks and has been looking all over for it.

SAY TEN HAIL MARYS
April 7
4500 block of 26th Avenue East
Theft: A woman reported that someone, possibly her boyfriend, stole her $800 rosary.

HOW NOW?
April 24
7600 block of 46th Avenue East
Information only: Police responded to a report of a loose cow. The caller said it was at least the third time in recent months that cows or goats escaped from his neighbor’s property. The property owner said she has no idea how the cow got loose.

THE BARE FACTS
April 28
12700 block of Deacons Place
Violation of Domestic Injunction: A man violated a domestic injunction a woman had against him by sending a video of himself lip-synching “Stay With Me” while he was naked with a cheetah print towel around his neck.

MAY BUILD A GET-AWAY CAR
May 22
5800 block of Ranch Lake Boulevard
Shoplifting: A man filled two shopping carts with Legos and left without paying. A store loss-prevention employee provided police with surveillance photos that showed him loading the items into a gray Ford Explorer. The stolen items were valued at $1,591.55.

IS THAT FARE?
May 30
2700 block of 63rd Avenue East
Grand Theft: A man refused to pay his cab fare of $66. He threw $15 at the driver and said “That’s all you’re getting” before he ran behind a gate at his workplace. Police found the man there and arrested him.

PICTURE THIS
June 21
2900 block of 53rd Avenue E.
Petit Theft: The loss-prevention officer observed the subject removing the price tag from a camera bag and placing it on another. He then proceeded to the register and paid for the bag at the lower price of $19.05 when the real price of the item was $49. The officer stopped the subject outside, and the subject brought back the bag and the subject was returned the money he paid. The subject admitted to changing the price tag, but said he only did it because he was in a hurry and the bag he wanted had no price tag on it. He also admitted he knew the bags were not the same and may have a different price.

THAT'S COLD
July 17
3100 block of Oriole Drive
Burglary: An unknown person removed a stainless steel refrigerator from a garage.

NO STOPPING GO-KART
July 22
Intersection of 125th Avenue East and Mulholland Road
Criminal Mischief: An unknown individual drove a go-kart through a closed community entry gate, causing approximately $1,000 worth of damage. Video surveillance captured the incident. A board member told police the identity of the juveniles he suspects are responsible.

CHAIN OF EVENTS
July 26
8300 block of Lakewood Ranch Boulevard
Theft: A man’s girlfriend broke up with him just after he had returned to his hospital room after surgery. She left the hospital with his gold chain, which she gave him as a gift two years ago. The man said he wants to press charges.

BAGGY PANTS
Aug. 15
2900 block of 53rd Avenue East
Petit Theft: Loss prevention advised the deputy that the subject had entered the store and proceeded to the electronics department, where he selected a micro cable and put it into his pants. He then went to the toy department, where he removed the packaging of a toy and concealed the item in his pants. He then went to the automotive department and selected vehicle wax and concealed the bottle in his pants. He then excited the store through the Garden Center passing all points of sale. Loss prevention stopped him outside the store and recovered the items, valued at $19.35 The subject was placed under arrest upon the deputy’s arrival and transported to jail.

LOGGING HIM OFF
Aug. 29
660 Block of 121st Ave E.
Domestic Aggravated Assault: A man and his girlfriend had been arguing. She was angry because he was on his computer. She retrieved a pistol and shot his computer. No one was injured, and she was arrested without incident.

SOMEBODY NEEDS TO BE PUNISHED
Sept. 11
13500 block of 4th Plaza East
Information only: A couple living together both called the Sheriff’s Office because they were concerned for their safety. Both had been arguing and felt threatened by each other. The woman called in first and told the Sheriff’s Office that her boyfriend had found out she was a dominatrix and was not “able to deal with it,” but would not stop contacting her. The man was upset because he believed his girlfriend was a prostitute. The man left Manatee County and went to Cape Coral because he was concerned for his safety, but demanded that a Manatee County deputy come to Cape Coral. He did not make a report with the Cape Coral Police Department.

GHOST STORY
Sept. 30
6700 block of 44th Avenue East
Petit Theft: A woman called the Sheriff’s Office to report that someone stole three of her homemade Halloween decorations from her yard.

DOG-GONE SCAM
Oct. 9
4900 block of Sable Harbour Drive
THEFT: A woman found a husky on Craigslist and wanted to buy it so she sent $200 to the seller via a money order. She then got a call from an airline shipping company, who told her that she needed to purchase a $900 carrying cage for the dog because of bad weather forecasted for the dog’s flight. The woman called the airline again, and they told her it was a scam. She was unable to get her $200 back.

PILL NON-POPPER
Oct. 16
12500 block of 23rd Street East
Information only: A husband and wife had a verbal argument. The husband pretended to ingest a bottle full of pills, so his wife called law enforcement. The deputy who arrived at their residence determined that the man did not actually swallow any of the pills and also did not meet Baker Act criteria.

DON'T BOTHER KNOCKING
Oct. 16
750 block of Gates Creek Road
THEFT: A woman called the Sheriff’s Office to report that the doors to her horse stalls had been stolen.

KISS AND TELL
Nov. 6
Lakewood Ranch Boulevard
Loitering: An off-duty officer observed a male and female juvenile walking south on Lakewood Ranch Boulevard. The boy was shirtless. The boy looked toward the patrol car but couple continued walking. The officer noticed that the juveniles disappeared into the bushes while he was looking away, so he went in search of them. Driving past some nearby landscaping, he saw the boy’s head pop up over some hedges. The officer stopped and asked them to come out of the bushes. They told him they were only “making out.” The officer contacted the parents who came and picked up their kids.

WAY OUT OF BOUNDS
Nov. 7
7200 block of Ashland Glen
Information only: A man was house sitting for a friend. When he went in the evening to check on the home, he noticed the bathroom window at the rear of the house had been broken and glass covered the floor. He left the residence and called the Sheriff’s Office. The responding deputy noticed that although the window was broken, the lock was still secured. Judging by the size of the hole and the home’s proximity to a golf course, with a tee located less than 100 yards from the window, the deputy surmised the damage was caused by “an ill-fated golf swing.”

BLAME IT ON THE WHISKEY
Dec. 2
10700 Block of Rodeo Drive
Burglary: A man went into a local tavern and asked the manager for directions to the restroom. After a few minutes, the manager was walking to his office when he saw the man with a handful of money sitting in his office with two bottles of liquor on the desk. The manager called the Sheriff's Office. When the deputy arrived and asked the man why he had the money, he said the whiskey made him do it. The deputy found $13 in $1 bills in the man's pocket, which the manager stated was the exact amount missing from his desk. The man was taken to jail.