Cops Corner: East County

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

Aug. 26
On the clock
 10:26 a.m. — 1000 block of Secret Harbor Place. Harassing Phone Call. The complainant received a voicemail saying only, “Tick tock.” When the complainant answered his phone the next time it rang, a male said, “Tick tock,” and hung up. The complainant’s service provider has blocked the incoming phone number.

Sept. 11
Pipe dream
 2:10 a.m. — 7000 block of Matoaka Road. Possession of Cannabis Not More Than 20 Grams. A suspicious vehicle was parked outside of a closed business early in the morning. The vehicle’s owner was inside with an open bag of marijuana and a pipe. The vehicle’s owner was arrested.

The one that got away
 10:17 a.m. — 3000 block of 57th Avenue Circle E. Burglary. A man left his home for 25 minutes and returned to find two young men in his master bedroom. The young men ran past the man and exited through the kitchen door. One young man was caught nearby, but the other fled.

Bus fuss
 3:59 p.m. — State Road 70 E. Property Damage. A woman left her car at the bus stop at 6 a.m. When she returned at around 3:15 p.m., she noticed someone had thrown a rock through the driver’s side window. The repair will cost about $300.

Sept. 12
Phome home
 5:26 p.m. — 6000 block of River Club Boulevard. Petit/Grand Theft. A family tracked its child’s stolen iPhone to a home address. When the parents went to retrieve the phone, they realized the child who lived there attended the same school as their child. The child in question apparently had picked up the iPhone in an empty classroom, as well as an iPod from another classroom. The child in question did not inform a teacher, nor her parents, about the items.

Sept. 14
Suspicious Stranger
 2 p.m. — 8000 block of Miramar Way. Suspicious Incidents. Three children riding bikes and skateboarding spotted a man in a white van driving slowly down the block while they played. The children ran behind mailboxes until the van left the area. One child said she has seen the van at the school bus stop every day but never told anyone. There was no sign that the driver was a danger to the children, however, one mother said she had taught her children to watch out for suspicious people.