Cops Corner: Sarasota

Feb. 21
ALL ABOUT THE BENJAMINS
12:05 a.m. — 0 block of North Lemon Avenue.
Utter Forged/Fake Bill: A man ordered a beer at a restaurant and asked an employee if he could make change for a $100 bill. The employee noticed the bill was counterfeit, and had his boss call the police. The man said that his boss pays him exclusively in $100 bills, and told the employee to call the police if he thought it was counterfeit. The man left when the employee told him the police were coming. The restaurant staff and band took turns looking at the counterfeit bill before it was placed into evidence.

Feb. 22
TREE HOUSE
7:27 a.m. — 1000 block of 47th Street.
Suspicion Person: A woman reported that she saw a man climb out of a tree in her backyard. An officer located the man, who said he slept in the tree and was heading to Manatee County. The officer told the man not to return to the house.

STUCK ON YOU
12:30 p.m. — 1800 block of 29th Street.
Criminal Mischief: A woman reported that her front and back locks were glued shut. The woman said she has been involved in an ongoing dispute with an acquaintance, whom she suspected was responsible. She said the source of the dispute was that she is dating the acquaintance’s ex-husband.

BAD NEWS COMES IN THREES
10:30 p.m. — 2000 block of Bee Ridge Road.
Theft — $300 to $20,000 All Other: A man contacted police in regard to the theft of his adult tricycle from a business he was visiting. The man said he parked the tricycle on the fence in the parking lot earlier that day. He noticed another male enter the parking lot on a mountain bike, but did not think anything of it. When he returned to where the tricycle was parked, he noticed it was missing, and that the mountain bike had been left behind. The man said the tricycle also had a motor on it, and that altogether it was valued at around $1,000.

Feb. 23
FRENEMIES
3 a.m. — 1500 block of North Lockwood Ridge Road.
Suspicion General/Unknown: A man reported that he had a friend over from 3 to 3:30 a.m. When he woke up that morning, he couldn’t find his wallet or key fob. The man didn’t want to make a theft report, but he did want those items returned to him. An officer later discovered that the friend was a prostitute the man had solicited. The man said he would contact the woman and ask her to return his property.