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Cops Corner

Fishermen tangle over crossed lines on Sarasota Bay

A man claims another fisherman intentionally hooked him while casting after their lines previously became tangled. This and other Sarasota Police Department reports in this week's Cops Corner.


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  • | 5:00 a.m. April 3, 2024
  • Sarasota
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Wednesday, March 20

Restroom romance

11:59 a.m., 2500 block of Cocoanut Avenue

Disturbance: An official of a regular farmers market held at MLK Park called law enforcement because he discovered two people engaging in potentially reproductive behavior in the public restroom. According to the police report, the complainant said the incident is “just one example of all sorts of illegal and immoral activity that he sees going on in this park when he is trying to set up for his farmers market.”

The complainant then identified a man sitting at a picnic table as one individual with whom he has had problems but clarified that he was not one of the subjects engaging in the lewd and lascivious act that took place in the restroom. The officer spoke with the man and asked him to be respectful of people and families who want to enjoy the park.


Eviction rejection

1:19 p.m., 2000 block of 10th Street

Civil disturbance: A woman who rents a room in a house called and told an officer that she was inside her room when a man identified only as “Poncho,” whom she said frequents the residence, knocked on her bedroom door and told her she needed to leave as she was getting “kicked out.” 

She advised that she told Poncho a 15-day notice is required before eviction. When he responded that he was going to call the police she said she challenged him, saying she would save him the trouble and make the call herself. That appeared to have been enough to convince Poncho that she was correct because he left the residence and drove away. 

The complainant said she does not know Poncho’s real name, she rents one room in the house and does not know who lives in the other rooms. Poncho’s identity, and whether he has any authority regarding the rental property, remains unknown.


Thursday, March 21

Phantom intruder

10 p.m., 3500 block of Fruitville Road

Suspicious incident: The owner of a veterinary clinic reported an intruder inside the business. Upon arrival, the responding officer did not find anyone inside. The complainant told the officer that she was driving past the building when she observed a light on inside, adding she was the last to leave earlier and left no lights on. Suspicious, she decided to go inside and assess the situation, which is when she observed a desk in the room where controlled substances are stored appeared to have been moved. 

Upon checking doors, she advised something — or someone — was blocking a bathroom door that she could not open completely. She added that she did not see or hear anyone inside.

More officers arrived and cleared the building, finding nobody inside. The complainant asked officers to stand by as she conducted an inventory of the controlled substances, all of them accounted for. She advised of previous incidents when someone had been inside the building after hours and wanted the incident documented. What might have been blocking the restroom door from opening completely, if anything, was not mentioned in the incident report.


Friday, March 22

Unhappy wife

8:51 p.m., 1300 block of Conrad Avenue

Family dispute: A married couple whose relationship had apparently run its course led to a domestic disturbance as a responding officer was told by the complainant that his wife had been drinking and an argument ensued because she came home intoxicated. He said they had been arguing frequently over several months. 

The officer spoke with his wife who said the reason for the dispute was that her husband drinks too much and she is unhappy as a result. The officer reported neither party appeared to be intoxicated. Interviewing each of them separately, it was confirmed nothing physical occurred, they were just both displeased with each other. 

They were encouraged to separate for the night and to try to resolve their issues the next day.


Saturday, March 23

The next day

10:34 a.m., 1300 block of Conrad Avenue

Family dispute: Less than 14 hours after police responded to a domestic disturbance at the same address, other officers arrived as the unhappy couple in question were separating when a dispute erupted over dividing assets. Officers advised both parties that as a married couple — albeit apparently not for long — marital property must be shared. The man said he wanted money that was transferred from a business account to that of his now-estranged wife returned to him. 

After he was reminded that marital assets must be shared, the man said he understood and moved out of the residence. According to the police report, both parties were advised to "stay civil and to not engage in petty behavior.”


Monday, March 25

Casting doubt

10:05 p.m., 920 John Ringling Causeway

Civil dispute: More became entangled than two fishing lines when a complainant called law enforcement to Harts Landing Pier after his hand was nicked by another fisherman’s hook.

The complainant told an officer that while he was fishing near the end of the pier his line became ensnared with that of another fisherman. He said the subject cut both of their lines and they continued fishing, peacefully coexisting above the tranquil waters of Sarasota Bay. 

That sense of serenity, however, was short-lived. Soon, the complainant said, the subject cast his line close enough to him that the hook made contact with his finger, causing a small cut. He believed the incident to be intentional, the wayward angler apparently so skilled as to judge wind speed and direction, the length of the line and the weight of the bait and tackle to accurately propel it through the air to make contact with the man's hand some 50 feet away. 

The subject confirmed that the lines were previously entangled but that he was unaware that his hook had cut the complainant’s hand. After meeting with the officer, both men separated and it was determined that no crime had occurred.

 

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