Cops Corner: East County

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

Sept. 18
One-hit wonder
7:25 p.m. — First Avenue East and Kay Road. Use/Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. A male who was stopped for a traffic violation asked to talk privately to a deputy and stuck his hand in his pocket. When police asked him if he had a weapon, he said no, admitted to “smoking rock” and said he had taken one hit. He said the item in his pocket was a Brillo pad used to smoke crack. Police didn’t arrest the male because he had an injury that needed medical attention.

Sept. 20
Ex-roommate spat
1:19 p.m. — 3000 block of 69th Street East. Burglary. A woman reported that she came home in June to find a man with whom she used to live burglarizing her home. She didn’t want to pursue charges, until Sept. 19 when she ran into the man and he spit on her. The spitting incident occurred in another agency’s jurisdiction, so deputies advised her to report the incident to that agency.

Going the distance
6:03 a.m. — S.R. 64 East and Verna Bethany Road. Information Only. Two intoxicated men walking about 100 yards apart and to the east of a 1967 Pontiac parked on the edge of a road told a deputy that they were driving to Daytona Beach and had run out of gas. The deputy explained the extreme distance to the nearest gas station and arranged for the vehicle to be towed.

Sept. 22
Sleeping with the enemy
1:34 p.m. — 5500 block of Lakewood Ranch Blvd. Battery. A woman told a deputy that another woman started a fight with her during a youth-league football game and had been sending her threatening messages. As the deputy took the report, the other woman approached them and said that the woman had been sleeping with her husband and taunting her about her husband’s infidelity. She said that they got into an argument and that the woman who reported the incident pushed her in the forehead. Both women agreed they did not want to press charges.

Sept. 23
Under cover operation
6:25 p.m. — 6200 block of S.R. 64. Criminal Mischief. An unknown person pulled off the tinted headlight covers of a man’s truck that he left in a store parking lot while shopping. One headlight cover was left hanging off the truck, and the other cover couldn’t be found.

Scratch that
7:11 p.m. — 200 block of Cape Harbour Loop. Criminal Mischief/Property Damage. A woman reported that the left side of her vehicle was damaged when someone scraped the paint with an object and scratched out shapes resembling the letters “H” and “O.” The woman said that her neighbors didn’t see anything suspicious occur.

Sept. 24
Daughter dearest
1:32 p.m. — 5700 block of Lockwood Ridge Road. Information Only. A woman reported that her daughter gained power of attorney over her affairs through fraudulent means and that she was “exploited and robbed of all her worldly possessions.”

Hitting a wall
4:03 p.m. — 6200 block of Timber Lake Drive. Obtain Property Under $20,000. A man said that he gave another man $275 to do work on his wall. The work hasn’t started since then, and the man has been difficult to reach. The man who reported the incident believes that he has no intention of completing the work.

Explosive encounter
6:59 p.m. — 6000 block of S.R. 70 E. Information Only. A woman reported that another driver began yelling and cursing at her, stated that he was going to blow her head off and made a gesture as if he were reaching for a gun, although the woman didn’t see a weapon. The man then drove off in a different direction.

Sept. 26
Go to your Room, missy.
3:25 p.m. — 1200 block of 11th Street E. Motor vehicle theft. A woman reported that her daughter took her vehicle without her permission. The vehicle was returned later in the day, before the victim reported it stolen.

Sept. 27
TO Ghana with love
2 p.m. — 5200 block of 58th Terrace East. Suspicious incidents. The complainant met a person online who began sending her electronic items via email. The emailer eventually asked the complainant to forward the electronic packages on to Ghana. The complainant did not forward the packages and instead contacted law enforcement to report that this was a scheme.