Cops Corner: East County

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

March 26 
 Energy stealer
3:15 p.m. — 8300 block of Lockwood Ridge Road. Theft. Department store staff observed a shopper selecting an item from a shelf, removing it from its package and putting it in his pocket. The man also picked up an energy drink. He left the store without paying for the items. Staff confronted man. The man broke away and got into a waiting vehicle. The vehicle fled southbound. The man left his energy drink, sunglasses, keys, hat and coat behind. The items were secured for evidence.

March 27
 Message board 
7:21 a.m. — 10100 block of Cherry Hills Avenue Circle. Criminal Mischief. An unknown person(s) wrote graffiti on a person’s white garage door. The drawing includes a marijuana leaf and the words “legalize it” written in black ink or paint. An attempt to remove the drawing was not successful.

March 31
 Carted away
4:39 p.m. — 8300 block of Lockwood Ridge Road. Theft. After a woman exited a department store, she put her shopping cart back in the vestibule. She took her shopping bags from the cart but forgot to grab her red leather purse. A short time later, video captured another woman taking the purse from the cart. A deputy observed the video and confirmed that a theft occurred. The deputy — and the victim — could not identify the woman. The stolen purse contained $220.

April 1 
 Tough catch
2:28 a.m. — 66th Street Court E./State Road 64 E. Assault. A deputy attempted to assist a Florida Highway Patrol officer with a crash. After the crash, one of the people involved in the crash tried to leave the scene on foot. The person tried to strike the deputy in the groin and also attempted to chase witnesses to the crash. When the deputy tried to handcuff the person, he resisted arrest and again tried to get away.

Hit man
11:38 a.m. — 13100 block of Ramblewood Trail. Criminal Mischief. The sheriff’s office received a report that someone shot BB pellets at a home that was under construction. Multiple hits to the garage door and windows caused $600 damage. There are no suspects.

Moor problems
4:40 p.m. — 4600 block of Lena Road. Information Only. An abandoned boat was located in a pond near power lines. Deputies ran the boat for warrants but found nothing. The registered owner of the boat said he gave the boat away several years ago. He could not recall the name of the person to whom he gave the boat. The boat has no motor and is falling apart. Due to recent rain, there is no way to remove the boat, deputies say.

Feeling grounded
7:33 a.m. — 600 block of 67th Street Circle E. Trespass Warning. A man was found sleeping on the ground outside a hotel with a Motel 6 comforter. The hotel manager awakened the man and gave him a trespass warning. There was also a red plastic cup in close proximity to the man. The man said he remembered the cup coming from his room. He had been drinking with friends earlier.