Cops Corner

March 29
No more interruptions
4:13 a.m. — 1000 block of Boulevard of the Arts. Resisting Arrest Without Violence. As officers were arresting a battery suspect, they were interrupted by the suspect’s friend. The officers told her to stay away, but she kept approaching them while they placed handcuffs on the suspect. After three interruptions, the friend was told that if she came back a fourth time, she would be arrested. Her response: “**** that!” After she interrupted again, officers made good on their promise and arrested the woman.

Tripped up
9:11 a.m. — 700 South Palm Avenue. Dispute. Two men were arguing in the lobby of a condo building. The dispute started when a condo owner tripped the fire sprinkler in his condo and caused some flooding in the building. Police warned the owner to refrain from any abusive or threatening behavior.

It doesn’t add up
2:15 p.m. — 1000 block of South School Avenue. Petit Theft. A parent was looking for a calculator for her child on eBay. She found one, but noticed something interesting about it. The seller attached a photo of the calculator, which showed the words “school property” and the name of the high school her child attends. She called the vice principal. The eBay seller was a Sarasota pawnshop, and the vice principal went to that pawnshop and found the calculator that had been stolen from the school.
The shop owner had taken down the driver’s license of the person who sold him the calculator. It was another high school student, who received $35 for the stolen device.

Mountainous mistake
2:20 p.m. — 1200 block of South Tamiami Trail. Shoplifting. A couple walked into a new-age shop. They purchased a few items, and, afterward, the wife decided to get a massage. While she was being kneaded, her husband sat down and picked up a magazine — “The Mountain Astrologer.” After the massage, the couple walked toward the exit, and the security alarm sounded. The man had placed the magazine in his bag. He said it was a mistake, but he was arrested anyway.

Air pollution
11:48 p.m. — 6900 block of South Tamiami Trail. Suspicious Incident. The owner of a mattress shop received a strange message on his answering machine. The caller said the store should not advertise on a local radio station, because the conservative political stance of the programming is “polluting the people’s minds.” The caller also said he passes by the mattress shop every day. The owner wanted to report the incident in case his store is vandalized.

March 30
Masked bandit
6:25 a.m. — 2500 block of Clematis Street. Animal Problem. The homeowner called police to report a raccoon in his backyard. He wasn’t sure if it was rabid, but one possible sign that it was — it chased the man’s dogs back into the house.