Cops Corner 07.29.10

July 19
Lego my mango
10:30 a.m. — 1700 block of Shoreland Road. Petit Theft. A woman was working in her yard when a car approached. It stopped, and a man with a cane walked up to her mango tree. He climbed the tree and began knocking mangos to the ground with the cane. Another man and a woman got out of the car and gathered the mangos. The homeowner yelled at them, but the trio did not stop. They got in the car with the fruit and drove away.

Bill me later
3:30 p.m. — 2100 block of Ringling Boulevard. Counterfeit Currency. A man in a fast-food restaurant drive-thru paid for his order with a $50 bill. He received $42.87 in change. The man drove around the building and pulled into the drive-thru again to order a couple of more hamburgers. Again, he pulled out a $50 bill to pay, but the employee said she didn’t have enough change and asked if he had any smaller bills. He said he didn’t, and she replied that she had just given him $42.87 in change a few seconds ago. The man appeared nervous, handed her a $5 bill, told her to keep the change and sped away. The manager examined the bills and determined they were counterfeit. The employee was able to get the car’s license plate number.

No need for name calling
8:30 p.m. — 500 block of Lime Avenue. Harassing Phone Calls. A man reported receiving several phone calls from someone asking for his Social Security number. The man asked the caller why he needed the information, and the caller became angry and called him a chicken.

July 20
Dust in the wind
8:46 a.m. — 1300 block of First Street. Dispute. A county employee was using a blower to clear off the library steps. A man was walking by and became angry at the employee. The man began yelling at him. The employee’s supervisor arrived and backed up his employee. The man called police, but was not pleased with the officer’s response. The officer also supported the employee’s actions and told the employee that if anyone tries to obstruct his work, he should call the police.

Chainsaw reaction
9 a.m. — Bahia Vista Street and Shade Avenue. Assault. A landscape worker was fueling up a chainsaw, and when a co-worker asked him for some OxyContin, the landscaper told the co-worker to get a prescription. That agitated the co-worker, who threw a second chainsaw at the landscaper. There were no serious injuries.

Can’t we all just get along?
11:55 a.m. — 2700 block of East Avenue. Criminal Mischief. A woman attended a mediation session with her estranged husband and found out he had moved into a home that they jointly own. After the session, the woman went to that house and tried to get inside. Her husband did not open the door. So, she began kicking it and then kicked the garage door. Still enraged, she knocked over the garbage can and threw the recycling bins, dirt and rocks at a car in the carport.

The sound and the fury
12:20 p.m. — Bahia Vista Street. Suspicious Vehicle. A caller was following a blue Porsche, which was moving down the road, while its car alarm was sounding.