Cops Corner: East County

The following information was gathered from incident and arrest reports obtained from the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office.

Jan. 4
THAT’S NOT MINE …
6:55 p.m. — The intersection of Arnold Palmer Green and Balmoral. Found property. While working off-duty security detail, the responding deputy conducted a traffic stop. The passenger had a juvenile pickup order that had been confirmed. The deputy had him step out of the vehicle, so he could take the juvenile into custody. When he opened the door, the deputy could smell marijuana coming from inside the vehicle. The deputy placed the juvenile into his patrol car. He then searched the vehicle and found a metal marijuana grinder with marijuana residue inside it in the glove box. Neither the juvenile nor the driver was charged due to their cooperation and not knowing to whom the grinder belonged. The grinder was placed into property to be destroyed.

Jan. 6
TURN FOR THE WORSE
1:50 a.m. — 8300 block of Lockwood Ridge Road. DUI. A complainant called in a vehicle that exited the on-ramp from Interstate 75. As the complainant followed the vehicle, the vehicle traveled at a high rate of speed. The vehicle then struck a retaining wall as deputies arrived on scene. The deputies suspected the driver was impaired and requested a traffic unit respond. The traffic deputy arrived and conducted the investigation. The driver was arrested and transported without incident. Elmer’s Towing responded to tow the vehicle from the scene.

SUDDEN SNATCHING
9:25 p.m. — 3100 block of University Parkway. Strong arm robbery. The suspect took the victim’s wallet and fled the area in a vehicle to an unknown location. The victim wasn’t injured during the incident.

CRIME OF CRAVINGS
7:22 a.m. — 6000 block of 31st Street East. Burglary to an unoccupied dwelling. Unknown suspect(s) entered the business through an unlocked and open window by climbing through it and into the break room. Once inside, the suspect(s) took several items from the freezer in the break room and the coffee maker. The suspect(s) then fled in an unknown direction by unknown means.

Dec. 15, 2011
FAST CASH
6:30 p.m. — 6600 block of State Road 64 East. Petit theft. The victim was missing $179.96 from the cash register and suspected one of her employees was pocketing the cash. Another employee, who was a witness to the theft, came forward and filled out an affidavit. A post-Miranda interview was conducted with the suspect and he admitted to the theft. He subsequently was placed under arrest and several loose pills were found in his pocket. He also was charged with possession of a controlled substance.

Jan. 5
THE OLD SWITCHEROO
4 p.m. — 3000 block of State Road 70 E. Seized tag. The responding deputy observed a tag with an expiration decal of December 2011. He ran the tag and discovered it had expired in May 2011. At that time, the deputy conducted a traffic stop. The driver, who is the owner of the vehicle, admitted to putting the decal from a mobile home onto the tag of the vehicle. The Department of Motor Vehicles advised the deputy to seize the tag due to no insurance. The driver’s license also was suspended. The driver was issued summons for attaching a decal that wasn’t assigned and no insurance and two citations for driving with a suspended license and an expired tag.