Cops Corner: Sarasota

Nov. 19
GAME CHANGERS
8:30 p.m. — Horton Circle. Theft. A man said he was collecting money in four change jars in his closet. One day, he emptied his pockets and put change in the jars, at which point he noticed there was a different sound when he dropped in the money. He discovered the one jar was empty, and only about 50 pennies remained in the others. The man believed his son may have stolen the money to support a drug habit. His son said he has been drug free for months, and that he was unaware of the location of the change jars. He said his father is being sued for embezzlement, and that he possibly took the money himself.

Nov. 20
IT’S 11 O’CLOCK SOMEWHERE
6:37 a.m. — 787 block of South Washington Boulevard. Trespassing. A man was causing a disturbance inside a fast-food restaurant and refusing to leave. The manger said the man appeared to be drunk and was demanding to see the lunch menu at 6:30 a.m. The man left before officers arrived, but he left his backpack, cell phone and wallet at the restaurant. The man was found passed out elsewhere. When he woke up, he said he had been up all night drinking tequila.

Nov. 21
FAREWELL TOUR
10:14 a.m. — 2000 block of Hillview Street. Landlord Tenant Dispute. A landlord said he was in the process of evicting a tenant from the property. While the eviction process is ongoing, the tenant has been causing problems around the property, removing meter boxes from other apartments and plugging items into electrical outlets in the laundry room.

CRASH TEST
12:52 p.m. — 2800 block of N. Tamiami Trail. Suspicion General. A man said he was leaving the parking lot of a fast-food restaurant when a bike struck his vehicle. No damage occurred to the bike or car, but the man said the cyclist threatened to sue him. The man believed the cyclist was trying to scam him by running into the vehicle. The cyclist said the car went past a stop sign and struck his bike, and that the driver pretended to have a gun to convince him to leave the area.

TOOL TIFF
6:29 p.m. — 600 block of 40th Street. Officer Standby. A woman called an officer to stand by while her ex-boyfriend’s father removed his son’s belongings from her house. The father asked the woman about a toolbox, which he said was in his son’s name and had been purchased from a joint account between the woman and her ex-boyfriend. The woman said she had been making the payments on the toolbox. The officer informed the two that a dispute over the toolbox was a civil matter that would have to be handled through the courts.