COPS CORNER: East County

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

July 18
Sleep attack
8:38 a.m. — 5600 block of 41st Avenue E. Burglary. Overnight, an unknown person entered the victim’s residence and took cash and credit cards from the bedroom. The victim was sleeping.

July 21
Unsanitary loss
3:47 a.m. — 8300 block of Lockwood Ridge Road. Property Found. A deputy responded to a department store in reference to a used syringe. The deputy found the syringe and destroyed it.

No service
4:11 p.m. — 5500 block of 34th Court E. Unarmed Robbery. Two suspects went to a residence and demanded money from the victim. After a short physical struggle over a cell phone, the suspects fled in a vehicle.

Partners in crime
7:21 p.m. — 8300 block of Lockwood Ridge Road. Obtain Property. Department store staff contacted the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office after they saw a man take fishing line, priced at $9.76, from a shelf in the sporting section. The man then grabbed a 12-pack of beer, valued at $12.47, from a shelf, and headed to the front of the store to meet up with a woman. The woman took the beer and attempted to return it using a receipt. The receipt was from another store of the same name, so she could not return it. She then left the store with the beer, but without paying for it. After she left, the man who took the fishing line stayed behind and returned it with a receipt. The two individuals then got into a vehicle, which a deputy stopped. The deputy arrested the man who took the fishing equipment. The man said he had found the receipt for the beer in the parking lot, and he wanted his friend to fraudulently return it so they could have money for gas. He denied using the same tactic with the fishing line. The woman friend, who also was arrested, said her male friend pressured her into stealing. She offered to pay for the beer. The friends were taken to jail.

July 22
Sweet ride
11:44 a.m. — 600 block of 67th Street Circle E. Criminal Mischief. Unknown suspect(s) punctured two tires of the victim’s vehicle and poured sugar in his gas tank. The damage cost $390 to repair.

July 24
Negligee nab
8:31 a.m. — 8300 block of Lockwood Ridge Road. Trespass Warning. Store management witnessed a man select items from the women’s lingerie department and conceal them in his backpack. He walked to the front register and paid for several other items, but not the lingerie. He exited the store with the stolen items. Once outside the store, an assistant manager confronted him. The manager removed items from the man’s backpack. The manager did not wish to prosecute the man, because the lingerie was still in good condition. A deputy issued the man a trespass warning and ordered him never to return to the store.

July 24
Roadside remodeling
9:16 p.m. — 7000 block Treymore Court. Burglary. Unknown person(s) entered a vehicle through the unlocked front passenger door. The person(s), who took no items, fled in an unknown direction by unknown means. The person(s) rearranged items in the car.

View East Co. Cops Report 07.31.13 in a larger map