Cops Corner: Pelican Press

Nov. 29
Changing her story
3:16 p.m. — 5500 block of Cape Aqua Drive. Grand Theft. A man came to the Sheriff’s Office to report that someone had stolen items from his home while he was in Maryland during the summer. The man said when he returned Sept. 3, he found his road bike and iPod docking station missing. The bicycle had been in the garage, but the docking station was taken from a table in the main hallway of his house. The only person who had a key to the residence while the man was in Maryland told the man she knew nothing about the missing items. First, she had admitted having other people come into the house with her while the man was gone; then, she changed her story to say no one else had been in the house. The man reported he had found this suspicious and felt she might know who had taken the items. However, the man had no serial numbers for the items. He did provide photos of them, though.

A slew of suspects
4 p.m. — Sandy Cove Road. Grand Theft. A deputy met with a woman who reported that when she moved into her condo in March, she learned that many people had had access to that unit, with spare keys having been made for various reasons. This made her uncomfortable, she said, so she enlisted the help of a male acquaintance to change the locks. The man did the work in June, though she was not exactly sure what day, because she travels often. She said she realized in November she had not seen certain items in her home since late July. The delay in her reporting that fact, she said, resulted from her packing and moving over the previous weeks. While she said she had no suspects, she repeated the man who had changed her locks had been a friend and handyman for her for more than four years. Additionally, she said a woman works for her as a housekeeper. After he took the report, the deputy learned the condo owner also had hired an art consultant about the same time the items had gone missing. The woman said two helpers had accompanied the consultant when he hung artworks in her condo. She knew only the first name of one of those helpers and had no idea about the name of the second one. She also told the deputy she had found no signs of forced entry.

Nov. 30
Headed to the Big Apple?
5 p.m. — Sandy Cove Road. Vehicle Burglary. A man reported he had left his sedan parked in front of his condo about 4 p.m. the previous day. About 5 p.m. the following day, he discovered someone had entered the vehicle and taken a toolbox containing items worth about $1,500. He added he had left his driver’s side door unlocked. He also noticed his glove box was open and papers had been strewn around the interior of the vehicle. He was missing a New York E-PASS along with the toolbox. He said he would press charges if a suspect could be identified. The deputy was unable to lift any fingerprints from the vehicle. The man then said he had heard one of his neighbors also might be missing something from her vehicle, but he did not know her formal name or address.

Our amps go to 11!
11:30 p.m. — Siesta Public Beach. Noise Disturbance. A deputy went to the public beach about 9:30 p.m., after receiving an anonymous call about loud music coming from the pavilion. The caller said he also had heard music from that area one night the previous week, and it had continued until 2 a.m. When the deputy arrived, he observed a light show and heard loud, amplified music. He found a deejay and a number of people playing recorded music. The deputy met with the man who said he was hosting the event and advised the man that the music was too loud, so the man needed to lower the volume. The man was willing to help and immediately lowered the volume, the deputy reported. The deputy did issue the man a formal warning, nonetheless. When the deputy drove to the end of the parking lot, by the property line, he reported he no longer could hear the music. At 11:15 p.m., the deputy received another call about loud music from the same event at the pavilion. When the deputy arrived, he reported he could hear the music from the street. The deputy met with a different man, who said he was in charge of this event and that the man with whom the deputy had spoken earlier no longer was in the area. The deputy told the second man the event needed to be halted, and the man obliged. He issued a warning to this man, as well, and advised that if he had to return within 90 days for another complaint, the man would be subject to arrest. The music stopped, the deputy reported, and everyone left the beach.