Cops Corner: Sarasota 9.5.19

August 28

UNDER THE RUG
Noon — 100 block of South Lime Avenue
Dispute: A man complained his employer had not paid him for work he had done the previous day. The employee said he swept for several hours, but because his manager could not find him, he was told he would not be paid. An officer told him the matter would have to be handled in civil court.

August 29

BUMPS IN THE ROAD
1:57 p.m. — 1600 block of Ninth Street
Property damage: A man was in his garage when he heard a loud bang. He saw his neighbor’s car backing out of the driveway across the street. The man said the car clipped a tree as it backed out then ran over the three mailboxes in front of the property and caused them to fall over. The car also damaged a pipe, which caused water to leak into the roadway. The driver then left the area. Police made contact with the man’s neighbor, who denied recently driving her car. Police could see recent damage to the car parked in front of her house. The property manager was on the scene and had the mailboxes and water leak fixed.

REPEAT OFFENDER
3:28 p.m. — 1000 block of North Tamiami Trail
Theft: An employee at a grocery store saw a man enter the business who had previously been involved in a theft at the store. Via camera, the employee watched the man place a box of fried chicken and two cases of beer into his cart. The man walked toward the registers and entered a lane with no cashier. The man stood there for a few minutes before trying to leave without paying, at which point security stopped the man. The store recovered all of the items.

DRINKIN’ NEMESES
10:12 p.m. — 2200 block of Benjamin Franklin Drive
Dispute: Officers responded to a report regarding a fight at a park. The man who filed the complaint said he and two other people went to the park to hang out and drink with another man. The man said he and the other man were fighting off and on for approximately two hours. The man did not want to make a statement and said, “It’s not worth it.” Another witness said the man was verbally confrontational with the other man, and they willingly engaged in minor physical altercations over the course of several hours. The other man told an officer the two did not get along, and they were shoving each other over alcohol and “stupid” stuff.