Vacationing couple ends up in Sarasota Bay

Friday, Nov. 8

Uniform code

9:29 a.m., 1000 block of North Washington Boulevard

Civil dispute: The manager of an auto service business called law enforcement after being out several hundred dollars after overpaying a fired employee in his final check. 

The ex-employee, the complainant advised, was given a check in the amount of $738.09. However, the fired worker failed to return his uniforms as directed, which are valued at $441.18. The manager said the check total was a mistake and the value of the uniforms should have been deducted. 

The subject did have a friend deliver $141.18 in cash to the business, but he still owes $300 for the uniforms. The manager was informed that the matter is a civil in nature and no further action was taken.

Saturday, Nov. 9

Anger management

10:42 a.m., 700 block of Apricot Avenue

Criminal mischief: A vintage pickup truck parked for four days outside a business was damaged overnight. The victim advised his son and told him that at about 3 a.m. his son awoke to loud fireworks and crashing sounds, but went back to sleep. 

He stepped outside several hours later to discover a shattered window and approximately a dozen small rocks on the ground by the driver’s side door, which had several dents and scratches apparently caused by the rocks. Other damage included chips in the windshield.

According to the report, it appears the perpetrator climbed up on the lifted truck’s tires to access the hood and throw rocks at the windshield. An officer attempted to lift latent prints from the vehicle to no avail. The officer contacted the truck owner by phone to discuss the matter. 

Later that afternoon, the officer was contacted by the victim's son who said he identified the suspect, a juvenile who confessed to the vandalism because he is unable to control his anger. Throwing rocks, he said, is the only way he can calm himself down if counting to 10 or doing push-ups doesn’t help. The boy’s mother was referred to a service to help with troubled youths. 

Sunday, Nov. 10

That sinking feeling

8:39 p.m., 0 block of Bayfront Drive

Dispute: A visiting couple out on the town met up with the owner of a boat at a local popular waterfront restaurant and bar who invited them to hang out on his boat anchored in the mooring field in Sarasota Bay. After more drinking on the boat, the man advised their host that they wished to leave because they had a flight to catch the next morning. 

That’s when the sequence of events took a peculiar turn. After boarding the boat owner’s dinghy, he was unable to start it and, for reasons not described in the incident report, it began to sink. After tumbling over each other in the tiny vessel, the three fell into the water, the couple swimming to a nearby boat to seek refuge. The woman said she believed the boat owner intentionally flooded the motor so it would not start. 

Reads the report: “(Woman) stated while (the boat owner) was attempting to start the dinghy he hit her in the face. (She) stated while the dinghy was sinking (the boat owner) fell on her, touching her breast with his hands and face.”

The boat owner told officers he had advised the couple could stay on his boat for the night due to not being able to get the dinghy started, adding they had been hanging out all night and there was no dispute between anyone.

As for the couple, they just wanted their eventful evening to end and return to their hotel after returning to dry land. No further action was taken.