Cops Corner: East County

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

April 2
When the smoke clears
10:41 a.m. — 6500 block of State Road 70 E. Possession of Cannabis. A high school teacher caught a student using an electronic cigarette in the school’s restroom. The student was using his cellphone to take photos of himself blowing smoke out of his mouth and into his nose. The cellphone also had photos of other students smoking marijuana. The teacher and one of the school’s assistant principals searched the student’s car and found small bits of marijuana. A deputy took over the search and found half-smoked marijuana joints in the car’s ashtray. The deputy also found a razor blade behind the student’s iPod. The student was suspended for having a weapon on campus, and the deputy sent the drug possession case to the State Attorney’s Office.

April 4
Wrestling match
1:13 p.m. — 8300 block of Lockwood Ridge Road. Theft. A man tried to steal several items from a department store. Loss prevention detained him as he exited the front door. The man refused to cooperate and engaged in a physical struggle with the loss-prevention employee. In a tussle, they both fell to the floor. The man broke free and fled southbound on foot. He could not be located.

April 5
Secret Santa
10:27 a.m. — 11100 block of M-j Road. Fraud. Unknown person(s) opened a store credit card account online without the victim’s permission. The victim received two new store credit cards in the mail. The victim closed the accounts.

Self-medicating
10:07 p.m. — 6200 block of State Road 64 E. Theft. A man stole large amounts of medicine from a store. An accomplice was waiting in a car outside the store, and the two sped off in the vehicle.

April 7
Something’s missing
 7:10 a.m. — 3700 of 53rd Avenue E. Property Found. A deputy found a wallet on the side of the road. No one has claimed it.

CLEANED OUT
5:56 p.m. — 600 block of 67th Street Circle E. Theft. A family left its motel room to pick up food. When family members returned, some of their belongings were missing. Deputies questioned motel staff about the situation.

April 8
DOOR’S NOT ALWAYS OPEN
8:08 p.m. — 800 block of Maritime Court. Burglary. A thief broke into the rear door of a home and stole jewelry. He exited through the front door in an unknown direction and left the door unlocked.

April 9
Family feud
4:25 p.m. — State Road 70 and Natalie Way. Information Only. A father reported that his son called to tell him that his mother, the father’s ex-wife, threatened to break the father’s arm. The father and mother are in a custody battle concerning the son. When the mother told the son she wanted to break her ex-husband’s arm, the duo was fighting about with whom the son wanted to live.

Ahoy, matey
12:07 a.m. — 6100 block of Ninth Avenue Circle N.E. Burglary. Unknown person(s) entered a covered boat dock and boat. The person(s) stole items and caused damage to the boat by cutting the fuel lines and prying open the gas tank. The person(s) fled in an unknown direction.

View East Co. Cops Report 04.18.13 in a larger map