Cops Corner: Sarasota

Nov. 30
IF THE HAT FITS
11:40 p.m. — 2100 block Siesta Drive. Theft. Two women entered a store and were browsing in the hat section. The storeowner noticed one of the hats was missing, so she asked the women if they were buying it. Both women denied they had the hat, and they left the area. An officer, however, later reviewed the surveillance video, which showed one of the women placing the hat into a large purse.

ALL CLEAR
2:06 a.m. — 1800 block Main Street. Open Doors. A lawyer called police about an unlocked door at his office. Officers checked the building, and found an employee on the second floor of the building watching television.

Dec. 2
JEWEL THIEF
12 a.m. — 700 block S. Osprey Avenue. Theft. While a resident was out of town, someone stole $18,000 worth of jewelry from her home. A cleaning woman is suspected to have taken it.

Dec. 3
UPSET EX
8:57 p.m. — 1900 block Hillview Street. Dispute. A man approached his ex-girlfriend and her new boyfriend at a bar and began acting aggressively toward the new boyfriend. The couple told police that the man is upset his ex-girlfriend is dating someone, and he had been following them around “causing trouble.” An officer explained the process to get a restraining order in place against the man.

Dec. 4
DISTURBING THE PEACE
1:12 a.m. — 500 block N. Washington Boulevard. Dispute. An employee at a convenience store called police about a disturbance. A man was inside the store asking customers for cigarettes and money. The man left the area before officers arrived.

PUBLIC PROBLEM
7:30 p.m. — 1000 block N. Tamiami Trail. Disorderly Intoxication. An intoxicated man urinated near a utility pole and spit on the front window of a gas station. A gas-station clerk witnessed both activities. The clerk told the man to leave, but he did not. The clerk called police, who arrested the intoxicated man.

Dec. 5
PAWN STAR
7:48 a.m. — 700 block of N. Washington Blvd. Petit Theft. Someone walked into a backyard and stole a 10-speed black bicycle. The bicycle’s owner followed the thief on foot, who was wearing a denim jacket, blue jeans, a beige baseball cap and black sneakers. An officer later approached the thief, who was standing outside a pawn shop, and arrested him, but he would not reveal the location of the bicycle.

DON’T COME BACK
11:17 a.m. — 2200 block Ringling Boulevard. Trespassing. A store manager caught a woman stealing from his store and told her that she was no longer allowed on his property. An officer issued a trespass warning for the woman.

Dec. 6
TOUGH BREAK
3 a.m. — 1400 block Main Street. Criminal Mischief. As he was leaving work, a bar employee noticed that the rear side window of his car was broken. He didn’t notice anything missing. There were no witnesses or suspects at the time.

NO-SO-WARM WELCOME
3:30 p.m. — 4100 block Sarasota Ave. Burglary of a Structure. A homeowner returned after two months away to find that someone had tried to break into the home. The owner noticed pry marks on the exterior of her front door and a cracked wooden frame near the door locks. No one gained entry into the home, but $200 of damage was caused. Neighbors did not notice anything suspicious.