Cops Corner

Sleeping stranger chased from Sarasota man's home

Arriving home from work after midnight, a man finds his front door broken and a stranger sleeping in his bed. This and other Sarasota Police Department reports in this week's Cops Corner.


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  • | 5:00 a.m. June 12, 2024
  • Sarasota
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Thursday, May 30

Self-service

12:59 a.m., 1200 block of North Palm Avenue

Disturbance: Reporting that three people went behind a closed hotel bar and served themselves, the complainant pointed two of them out to officers as they sat in a lobby area sipping beers. The complainant told officers the pair became belligerent when confronted, and did not wish to press charges for the pilfered pilsners but did want them trespassed from the property.

The two subjects told the officers they did not enter the bar area and that an unknown third person served them. Officers advised the two to not cause any more disturbance and recommended they return to their rooms, to which they both agreed. Whether they were actually served by the unknown third party was not specified in the report.


Saturday, June 1

Breaking and bedding down

1:20 a.m., North Tuttle Avenue

Criminal mischief: Finding an unknown man sleeping in his bed, a man told officers he made the discovery when returning home from work. The victim advised that, when confronted, the subject immediately began to apologize to him. 

The victim further stated he retrieved the suspect’s identification and ordered him out of his home, after which the suspect gathered his belongings and left the residence in an unknown direction. The victim said the subject appeared to be under the influence of alcohol.

It appeared to the victim and to officers the suspect entered through the front door, damage estimated at about $500. Officers determined the suspect intentionally damaged the front door to gain access to the residence and probable cause exists for a charge of misdemeanor criminal mischief. With the suspect’s identification in hand, an arrest had yet to be made at the time of the report.


Monday, June 3

Rock tossing ruckus

4:50 p.m., 400 block of Benjamin Franklin Drive

Disturbance: Perhaps seeking a moment of solace from dealing with his intoxicated girlfriend, a man said he was skipping stones into the water at Lido Beach when he was approached by a woman yelling at him.

An anonymous caller reported an argument and, upon arrival of officers, lifeguards identified the man involved in the altercation as he was in a parking lot tending to his girlfriend.

The man explained that he was on the beach skipping rocks when a woman approached and “scolded” him for throwing rocks at birds. The man said the verbal altercation ended with him walking away. An officer made contact with a woman who confirmed that she approached the man and yelled at him because she believed he was endangering the seabirds by throwing rocks into the water. 

With the woman confirming the dispute was strictly verbal in nature, no further action was taken.


Tuesday, June 4

‘Have Gun, Will Travel’

2:27 p.m., 0 block of Boulevard of the Presidents

Suspicious person: Reciting the title of a television western that aired from 1957 to 1962, a man described as approximately 20 years old entered the complainant’s office and, for an inexplicable reason, said, “Have gun, will travel,” and then left the premises.

The complainant provided a description of the man, adding he was carrying a black garbage bag. 

Canvassing the area, an employee at a nearby restaurant advised that a man of similar description was seen walking north along Boulevard of the Presidents. An employee of another business then made contact with an officer and reported that a man who fits the description entered the premises and “flicked” her in the abdomen while talking to her. 

Finally making contact with the alleged gun-toting, finger-flicking traveler, the man admitted to his recent transgressions and apologized for his behavior, but offered no explanation. 

The subject was cooperative and allowed an officer to search his bag for weapons, finding none. With neither of the complainants wishing to press charges, the man said he was heading home to Bradenton and was last seen walking toward the Bay Runner trolley stop at St. Armands Circle.

 

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