Cops Corner: Sarasota 6.25.15

June 19

OVER THE HEDGE
12:50 p.m. — 3900 block of Lakeside Road
Civil Problem: A man alerted officers that his homeowners association was attempting to trim the bushes on his property without his permission. The association said his bushes violated neighborhood bylaws governing bush height, and hired a company to trim the shrubbery because the man failed to address the issue. The man requested a police report for use in a civil suit, and the association agreed to leave his bushes alone until after the civil matter has been decided.

June 20

RIPE FOR THE PICKING
5 p.m. — 200 block of North Washington Drive
Petit Theft: A woman reported that, some time during the past two nights, somebody had taken a large number of mangoes from the trees in front of her property. The responding officer noticed a set of 4x4 tire tracks on the driveway under the trees, and suspected that vehicle had been used to reach the mangoes. The woman did not know who had taken the mangoes, but said people often contact her to request them.

June 21

TROUBLE-RAKERS
5:30 p.m. — 1700 block of Benjamin Franklin Drive
Suspicion General/Unknown: A man reported that, sometime during the night, somebody took a garbage can and rake from the bed of his pickup truck. The garbage can had been placed a few cars away from his truck, and the rake was on the roof of another car in the parking lot. The man said the apartment complex has been having problems with beach partiers using its pool during weekends, and requested extra patrol to monitor the issue.

June 22

SANDWICH ART CRITIC
Noon — 1800 block of 27th Street
Dispute/Fight: A woman and an employee at a store got into a dispute regarding a submarine sandwich. When officers contacted the woman, she informed them she didn’t like how her sub was prepared and she asked for her money back, a demand the store manager refused. The manager said this is the second time the woman has done this. The manager eventually agreed to refund the money, and the woman said she would not shop at the store anymore.

LASER FOCUS
9:44 p.m. — 900 block of University Parkway
Suspicion General/Unkown: A man at a hotel observed a vehicle making circles in the parking lot for several minutes, at which point he saw a red laser beam come out of the car, pointed at him. The man walked away and the car left the area.