Cops Corner

April 19
International imposter
2:18 p.m. — 3900 block of Wilshire Drive. Suspicious Incident. An elderly woman told deputies that she received a call from someone who said he was her grandson. He told her he was in Canada and needed money wired to him. The man told her not to tell anyone. She sent $2,790 and then realized she had been scammed.

In charge
5:45 p.m. — 200 block of John Ringling Causeway. Car Burglary. A woman parked her car at Bird Key Park and took a walk. She returned about an hour later. Her car was locked and nothing appeared to be disturbed. Two hours later, she got a call from a credit-card company, informing her that her card has some suspicious charges on it. She checked her purse and noticed that two credit cards and $40 in cash were missing from her wallet. The credit card had been used in a beachwear store on Siesta Key.

April 20
Burning rubber
7:26 a.m. — South Tamiami Trail and Bee Ridge Road. Road Hazard. A large tire was seen rolling down Bee Ridge Road and crossing Tamiami Trail. No word on its origin or destination.

Citizen of the year
8:16 a.m. — 1700 South Tuttle Avenue. Aggravated Assault. A man changed lanes while driving and noticed the car behind him changes lanes at the same time. The second driver flipped off the first driver and began tailgating him. The first driver tapped his brakes to get the tailgater off of him, but he kept following closely behind. The first driver pulled into a left-turn lane to get off Tuttle Avenue, and the tailgater turned with him and struck his car. The tailgater got out of his car and yelled, “Yeah, I hit you. I hope you’re hurt. I hope I #$&@ you up. Call the police.” The first driver took that last piece of advice and dialed the police department. When an officer arrived, the tailgater told the officer, “I hit the #$&@, because he cut me off, and I didn’t have enough time to stop. Now give me my ticket, so I can go.” After a quick investigation, it became apparent the tailgater intentionally hit the car in front of him, so he got more than just a ticket — he also received a trip to jail.

APB for Jackson Pollack
2:12 p.m. — 400 block of South Pineapple Avenue. Burglary. A gallery owner had been planning to expand into a vacant store space next door. The owner peeked in the window on the above date and saw a mess inside. Someone had spilled paint all over the wood and slate flooring and splattered paint on the walls. The damage is estimated at $4,000. The painter left a paint bucket and a roller, which are being inspected for fingerprints.

Lounge act
4:24 p.m. — 1600 block of South Tamiami Trail. Trespassing. A fast-food restaurant manager asked police to give someone a trespassing warning. The guy was hanging out in the restaurant, drinking a beer. An officer gave him the warning, and the man told the officer he understood.

Man at work
6:06 p.m. — 300 block of Tuttle Avenue. A caller reported a man dressed in a shirt, shorts and work boots was dancing in the middle of the street and disrupting traffic.