Cops Corner: Sarasota 10.22.15

Oct. 17

CHECKING OUT

0 block of South Lemon Avenue — 6 p.m.
Theft: A man came into a restaurant and ate at the bar, racking up a $109.57 bill. After receiving his check, the man said he had no money. He left his ID card as a sign of good faith and said he would return with the necessary money. The man never returned, so employees at the restaurant informed the police. The bartenders who served the man confirmed he was pictured on the ID, and the manager of the restaurant told an officer the man’s place of employment. The officer discovered the man had been fired two days earlier, and arrested for theft charges in regard to a different incident a day after he bailed on his check. The officer said this case was a civil matter, because the man entered a verbal contract with the restaurant when he agreed to leave his ID and return with money.

Oct. 19

SPITTING MAD
10:30 a.m. — 800 block of University Parkway
Dispute: The manager of a hotel alerted officers after getting into a confrontation with a customer. When employees checked the customer’s room, there was a strong smell of marijuana. The manager told the customer she would not receive her deposit, because there is a no-smoking policy in the room. The manager said the customer was very argumentative and spat at her. The manager said she just wanted officers to be aware of the incident in case further issues occurred.

HELP WANTED
1:45 p.m. — 2000 block of Adams Lane
Suspicion: A woman applied for a job as a personal assistant on Craigslist, and was told she received the job. The woman received a message from the employer, which said she would receive a check and instructions on how to deposit it. She was told to deposit the check, keep $300 for herself, spend $300 on children’s clothes for a charity organization and send the rest back to the employer. The woman received the check and attempted to deposit it into her personal account. The check was declined and the woman’s bank account was frozen.

BLOWN CALL
6 p.m. — 3100 block of Bellevue Street
Noise Complaint: A woman registered a noise complaint after hearing two loud bangs that she believed were caused by fireworks. She said she believed the sound came from a neighboring property a block north. An officer, canvassing the area, saw a Florida Power and Light truck conducting maintenance. A resident in the area said he heard the transformer behind his house blow, and the power was out as a result. The officer informed the woman of the power issues.