Cops Corner: Sarasota 10.15.15

Oct. 10
NO. 1 SUSPECT
3:44 p.m. — 2600 block of 17th Street
Theft: An employee at a store reported she suspected a woman of shoplifting a pair of pants she was wearing and several other items in a shopping cart. After reviewing surveillance footage, the woman could be seen filling a shopping cart with four packages of socks and other clothes. The woman then picked up a robe, threw it onto the floor and began urinating through her clothes onto the floor. She used the robe to mop up the floor and tossed the robe onto some clothing racks. The woman then removed her shorts, throwing them onto a rack of pants, before putting on a pair of black pants that had been in her shopping cart. The woman then walked out of the store without paying for the items.

NO TIME TO WASTE
4:05 p.m. — 1500 block of First Street
Dispute: A man alerted officers that, while waiting at the bus station, another passenger approached him, asking for the time. Although the man said he wanted to be left alone, the other passenger kept asking for the time. The man said the other passenger looked at him like he wanted to fight, but he got onto a bus a minute later. The man said he wanted the situation documented in case he had to defend himself later. The other passenger said he asked the man for the time, and the man began to yell at him. The other passenger said he didn’t want any trouble, so when the bus arrived, he got on it.

Oct. 12
READING THE SYMBOLS
7:30 p.m. — 1200 block of Highland Street
Suspicion: A woman alerted officers regarding her car, which she said had been vandalized. Officers reported that it did not appear anyone had recently tampered with the vehicle, though the car was old and showed damage. The woman said the front hood had been spray painted, but officers said it appeared to be old, faded paint that matched the color of the car. The woman believed someone had painted on gang symbols that were “trying to tell” her something. The woman didn’t elaborate on the potential messages. The woman asked for additional patrols in the area, and the officers agreed to put in a patrol request.