Cops Corner: East County

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

Feb. 24 
 Joy ride
7:04 a.m. — 3400 block of 55th Drive E. Vehicle Theft. A woman discovered that her vehicle was missing from the front yard of her home, where she usually parks it. She suspects her 14-year-old son took the vehicle. Her son was missing at the same time the vehicle disappeared.

Wedding crasher
1:18 p.m. — 6200 29th Street E. Theft. A man last saw his wedding band on the hazard switch in his vehicle. He had given his car keys to somebody to wash and detail his vehicle. The man’s co-worker reported that he also had his wedding band stolen while his vehicle was being washed and detailed.

Feb. 28
 Lost in translation 
13000 block of State Road 64 E. No License. A deputy observed a vehicle driving with only one working headlight. The deputy stopped the vehicle. The deputy then determined that a Spanish-speaking deputy was needed. Upon arrival of the Spanish-speaking deputy, deputies determined the driver had no license. The driver said he has never had a Florida driver’s license. The driver was arrested.

March 1
 Momma’s boy
12:43 a.m. — 7900 block of 50th Place E. Fraud. A woman reported that her son stole two credit cards from her wallet. She reported that her son then made multiple unauthorized charges to the card without her permission. The son has not confessed to the incidents.

Double whammy
1:34 a.m. — 4400 block of Morgan Johnson Road. Drug Possession. A deputy observed a car traveling 52 mph in a 40 mph speed zone. The deputy stopped the vehicle. The deputy smelled a strong odor of marijuana coming from the vehicle. The deputy discovered 32 grams of marijuana and two narcotics without a prescription. He arrested the driver.

March 2 
 Driver neglect
3:08 a.m. — 4900 block of 26th Avenue E. Drug Possession. A deputy was patrolling an area when he came in contact with a man. The man said he was involved in a crash and had left his vehicle at the scene. The man said he would go back and retrieve his car at some point. The deputy determined the man appeared to be impaired. After the man consented to a search, the deputy found the man in possession of marijuana and a glass pipe. The deputy then found the man’s vehicle, which had crashed against a fence. The man was arrested.

Easy pickings 
9:01 a.m. — 8100 block of Lakewood Main Street. Vehicle Burglary. Someone entered a person’s vehicle and stole a wallet located in the center console and a purse located behind the driver’s seat. There was no indication of forced entry. The purse had an iPhone in it. The wallet contained no cash, but it contained several credit and debit cards and a driver’s license. There are no witnesses.

March 3
 Fire trail 
2:00 a.m. — 6600 block of Hunter Combe Xing. Burglary. A man reported his Kindle Fire was stolen from his parked vehicle. The man believes the incident occurred either at a gas station or hospital. He says he visited his father at the hospital and remembered leaving the Kindle on the passenger seat. When he re-entered his car, he never bothered to confirm the Kindle was still there. He then went to the gas station. The man didn’t notice the Kindle was missing until hours later. A tracking device on the Kindle showed it was 45 meters from the man’s residence.