Cops Corner

Jan. 9
Second opinion
8:46 a.m. — 5000 block of Ocean Boulevard. Property Damage. A deputy was in a parking spot at a Village office building, facing northbound traffic and operating a radar gun. He was starting to pull out of the space to pursue a violator, when he heard a noise from the passenger side. After he climbed out of the vehicle, he saw a 3-foot metal pole lying on its side. The pole was used to support a chain that blocked the driveway into the parking lot. The deputy reported his driver’s door had scuffmarks from the pole, but he was able to rub off the marks. Nonetheless, he called another deputy to the scene. The second deputy agreed that no crash had occurred, but he advised the first deputy to fill out a damage report.

Jan. 10
Just letting myself in
10:40 p.m. — 5200 block of Cape Leyte Drive. Criminal Mischief. A 53-year-old woman called the Sheriff’s Office to report that a 28-year-old man she knew was on her lanai without permission. She said the man had stayed at her residence for two nights, but she had asked him to leave her home after the second night. When he had refused, she had called the Sheriff’s Office then, as well. When a deputy arrived, the man had returned the keys she had given him and left. That was three days earlier. On this second occasion, the woman said the man had come to her door about 7:30 p.m. asking if he could stay there. She told him, “No,” and asked him to leave. A short time later, she had to go out. When she returned home about 10:30 p.m., she saw him at the screen door on the east side of the residence. She told the deputy he was pulling on the bottom of the door and bending the door, so she left the residence and called the Sheriff’s Office. The responding deputy found that the screen door had been pulled up from the bottom corner, but the door still was locked. When the deputy, accompanied by a second officer, was attempting to get into the residence, the man stood up from a couch where he had been lying down. The deputies arrested him without incidence. The damage to the door was estimated at $400. 

Jan. 11
Psychic shopper
Midnight — 500 block of Beach Road. Officer Public Assistance. A 64-year-old woman reported someone had charged five separate items on one of her credit cards, for a total of $1,262.73. She told a deputy she had obtained the suspect’s name from the credit card company, but she did not know the person.

Jan. 12
Taking the ads on the road
7:49 a.m. — 6700 block of Sarasea Circle. Stolen Vehicle. A manager reported someone had taken a resort’s golf cart. The man said it was locked up about 11 p.m. the previous night; when he went to get it the next morning, it was gone. He said it had been kept in the maintenance shed on the property, chained to another golf cart. The responding deputy checked the area but found no sign of the golf cart.