Cops Corner: Sarasota

May 4
Face recognition
11:23 p.m. — 1600 block of Main Street. Vehicle Crash. Police saw a woman crying hysterically in the street, and she reported she had just been the victim of a car crash. She explained that a man backed his car out of a parking spot right and crashed into the front end of her car. He then pulled back into the spot, told the woman he was drunk and took off running. Police confirmed the identity of the man from a bartender, and police set up a photo lineup for her to review. She identified the man, and police made plans to arrest him.

May 5
Little Red Riding Hood?
1:45 a.m. — 1700 block of South Tamiami Trail. Trespassing. A woman who came to the hospital to visit her grandmother began harassing other hospital patients and hospital staff. She was removed from the property.

Police unleash citations
9:51 a.m. — 2000 block of Ninth Street. Animal Nuisance. A woman told police she has an ongoing problem with dogs barking. Police observed a pit bull that was loose and another dog that was in a cage with no food and water. The pit bull’s owner received a citation for the barking, and Sarasota County Animal Control took the other dog away.

How much is that doggy?
11:30 a.m. — 1500 block of Main Street. Suspicious Circumstance. A man called police to report a woman selling puppies at a farmers market. She told police she was selling rescued dogs outside the confines of the market. Police advised her to visit City Hall to see if she needs a permit to sell the dogs.

Access denied
3:30 p.m. — 2200 block of South Tamiami Trail. Suspicious Circumstance. A man called police to report that the domain of his website had been changed without his permission and that he was locked out of performing business activities on the website. The man suspects a former employee.

They can carry a tune
6 p.m. — 1300 block of Main Street. Theft. A store employee showed police video footage of two women stealing three radios off the front desk of his store.

May 6
Rip-ple effect
4:01 p.m. — 400 block of John Ringling Boulevard. Suspicious Person. A store clerk advised that a woman attempted to steal more than $1,200 worth of clothing merchandise from her store. The clerk was able to get the merchandise back from her before she fled, although some of the clothing was torn in an attempt to grab it from the woman’s clutches.

May 7
Back-alley business
3:10 p.m. — 1500 block of Main Street. Theft. A store employee flagged down a police officer and showed him security footage that revealed a man stealing the employee’s bicycle at the rear of the business. Police made plans to review the footage and look for the black Peugeot bicycle.

Architectural digest
10:20 p.m. — 1700 block of Main Street. Suspicious Circumstance. A store employee reported a man taking pictures of a building and an intersection for more than an hour.

May 8
Launching pad
8:26 a.m. — 1800 block of North Tamiami Trail. Suspicious Circumstance. A woman reported that her employees found several bottle rockets lying on the property; she believes they were fired from a home on the other side of a canal. Officers informed the homeowner it was illegal to fire the rockets within city limits.

With friends like those ...
1:33 p.m. — 1500 block of First Street. Battery. A woman reported that a female acquaintance keeps threatening her about a mutual male friend. She told police the acquaintance grabbed her hair and dragged her to the street. Police found the acquaintance, and she was arrested on a battery charge.

Pick-pocketed
2 p.m. — 1400 block of Tenth Street. Theft. A man told police his wallet was stolen at The Salvation Army. He later found the wallet on the ground without his money or identification card.

Gone in 60 seconds
3:46 p.m. — 4800 block of North Tamiami Trail. Suspicious Circumstance. Police were notified a 2-year-old boy was walking by himself southbound on North Tamiami Trail. Police found a boy matching the description in a hotel room with his father. The father admitted the boy wandered outside while he was in the bathroom, and he went to find him when he realized the boy had left the room.

May 7
Ex-communion-cated
3:16 p.m. — 100 block of South Pineapple Avenue. Harassment. A church financial director reported that a man became irate at a Sunday service about the size of the piece of bread he received at communion. The man then proceeded to call the pastor 20 times and leave threatening fax messages for him. The church wanted nothing more to do with the man, and police made plans to deliver the message.

May 8
Disappearing acts
10 a.m. — 1300 block of First Street. Suspicious Circumstance. A man flagged down a police officer and reported that every time he parks his truck in the parking lot of the Selby Public Library, things go missing. He told police he’s lost a windshield wiper, had a switch damaged from the interior of the truck, and the spare key was stolen from the interior of his metal bumper where he kept it in a magnetic case.