Cops Corner: East County

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

Nov. 20
 Un-welcoming committee 
8:42 p.m. — 2800 block of University Parkway. Trespass Warning. A person trespassed in a store even though the manager already told him he was not welcome. A deputy informed the person that if he returned to the property in the next six months, he would be subject to arrest. He vacated the store without incident.

Nov. 26 
 Think fast
8:14 p.m. — 6600 block of Interstate 75 northbound. Property Damage. A deputy responded to a traffic crash. The deputy spoke with the driver and passenger of one of the involved vehicles. The driver said he was driving 55 to 60 miles per hour when he saw traffic stopping in front of him. He changed lanes abruptly. A second vehicle had little time to react and crashed into the first vehicle from behind. No citations were issued.

Dec. 1
 Trash or treasure?
6:24 p.m. — 7300 block of 52nd Place E. Suspicious Incidents. A department store employee told his manager he saw a woman walk out of the store with two garbage bags filled with items. By the time the manager arrived, the woman had left. The manager noted two suspicious-looking men waiting outside the store in a silver minivan. The manager asked the men about the woman, and they said they didn’t know of her. There is no video of the scene, and it is unclear if any merchandise is missing from the store.

Pulling an all-nighter
11:10 p.m. — 7200 block of 28th Street E. Information Only. There was a loud noise coming from behind a home. A deputy responded and heard what sounded like sandblasting. The deputy tried to contact the homeowner but could not. After an hour, the sandblasting persisted, so the deputy shined his light onto the property. The homeowner finally came out and said he was trying to catch up on work after being rained out the day before. The deputy advised the homeowner he was causing a nuisance. The homeowner said he would not work past dark any longer. Neighbors said the noise is a recurring incident.

Dec. 4 
 Open-and-shut case
8:49 p.m. — 5700 block of Tara Boulevard. Property Found. A passerby saw a briefcase lying in a grassy area near the roadway. A deputy responded and found a brand new laptop bag lying in the grass. The deputy took custody of the bag and brought it back to the sheriff’s office.