Sarasota Cops Corner: Anything for my morning coffee

Tuesday, Feb. 1

Morning coffee

2:30 a.m., 0 block of South Lime Avenue

Theft: A man who had previously stolen from a coffee shop came into the shop and poured himself a cup of coffee. After he drank the coffee he stole two gingerbread sandwiches. An employee told the man to leave and that police would be called if he did not return the sandwiches. The man did not comply, so the employee called police and locked the shop’s door, trapping the man inside. The man took a hammer from his backpack, smashed the shop’s window and fled on foot. The man has not yet been identified and the gingerbread sandwiches were not recovered.

Stranger danger

3:35 p.m., 800 block of Mecca Drive

Suspicious person: A woman reported to police that she received threats and had money taken from her bank account following a conversations with a suspicious person. She began speaking with the suspect via Facebook and WhatsApp, but stopped for months because she had a boyfriend. After she broke up with her boyfriend, she began talking to the suspect again but quickly realized he was mischievous. The suspect threatened to post embarrassing photos of her online if she did not send him $500. When she refused, he showed her the embarrassing photos he had obtained, which she had sent to her ex-boyfriend some time prior. She told police that her ex-boyfriend would never share the embarrassing photos with anyone. The suspect has not been identified.

Thursday, February 3

No hour for shower

7:35 a.m., 2000 block of Waldemere Street

Trespassing: Police responded to a janitor’s complaint that a man was using a public shower at a time when the building was closed. Police found the man, still wet from the shower, and informed him that he was not allowed to be there. The man left the property without issue.

It’s just art

8:20 a.m., 1600 block of Pine Tree Lane

Suspicious incident: Police arrived at a home where a painting that read “Trapped” was visible through a window. A woman inside the home said she was using the painting as blinds for the window and was not actually trapped in the home. She confirmed that she resided there and told police she would remove the painting to avoid future confusion.

New jeans

3:25 p.m., 5100 block of Tamiami Trail

Shoplifting: A man entered a thrift store dressing room to try on a pair of jeans. He was seen leaving the store wearing the jeans and had discarded his pants in the dressing room trash can. A store clerk confronted the man but he left the store anyway. Police found the man outside of a nearby apartment complex, where he explained that he stole the jeans because his pants had a tear in the groin. The man was issued a shoplifting citation and the jeans were returned to the store.