Cops Corner: Sarasota

Observer:

Dec. 11
Surprise smash
8:31 a.m. — 4000 block of South Tamiami Trail. Suspicious Circumstance. A glass window of a store was smashed, but police couldn’t figure out what caused the damage.

It seemed like a good idea at the time
9:17 a.m. — 100 block of Marina Plaza. Assist Other Agency. Officers called for an ambulance after they found an “extremely intoxicated” man sleeping on a park bench with cuts all over his body. Witnesses told police he received the scratches while trying to swim in an oyster bed after having some drinks.

Cashing in
2 p.m. — 1000 block of University Parkway. Theft. A woman told police that when she realized she left her purse in a hotel room after she had checked out, she returned to the room while it was being cleaned. She found the purse — minus $94 in cash. Hotel staff filed an insurance claim for the missing cash.

Bang-up job
10:11 p.m. — 3400 block of School Avenue. Suspicious Noise. A woman told police she heard something bang against her house. She was scared, because she explained her neighbor had been making weird noises, throwing stones in her yard at night and stalking her. Police found nothing out of the ordinary and asked her to call back if the problem persisted.

Dec. 12
BB damage
8:05 a.m. — 300 block of Central Avenue. Criminal Mischief. A police officer informed a business owner that someone shot out one of his store’s glass windows with a BB gun.

Experiencing some disconnect
4 p.m. — 2000 block of Main Street. Accident. A car backed into another car on Main Street and left a telephone number on the windshield. The gesture was in vain, however, because the number provided was disconnected.

Dec. 13
Needs some time to think
12:14 a.m. — 500 block of North Beneva Road. Suspicious Circumstance. A man walked away from his parked car and sat down in a bush, telling police “that things did not make sense.” His car was locked, and he was driven home.

Hospital care needed
7:15 p.m. — 1200 block of First Street. Disorderly Conduct. An intoxicated man who was unable to take care of himself was taken to the hospital for treatment.

Dec. 16
Desperate for drugs
1:16 a.m. — 2500 block of South Tamiami Trail. Suspicious Person. The owner of a bar told police a man came in earlier and was asking his customers where he could get some crack cocaine. He left the bar after no one had any leads for him.

Payment procedure
10:11 a.m. — 400 block of Golden Gate Point. Civil Disturbance. Police told a condominium manager that the fact that his association sent a $12,917 check to a now-defunct management company is a civil problem.

Over the fence
7:08 p.m. — 3100 block of Bahia Vista Street. Suspicious Circumstance. A woman told police she saw two teenagers trying to throw their bikes over a fence from inside a park.

Dec. 17
He’s a keeper
12:19 a.m. — 500 block of Beneva Road. Criminal Mischief. A woman told police that she and her boyfriend got into an argument while they were drinking. He walked into the bathroom and kicked a stall door in before leaving. The woman told police she wasn’t sure where he went because he’s between residences at the moment.