Cops Corner: Sarasota 3.19.2015

March 13
RUNNING ON FUMES
3 p.m. — 2000 block of 17th Street.

Miscellaneous Officer: A person reported that paint fumes were being improperly vented near his property, possibly causing damages. An officer arrived at the scene and immediately smelled strong paint fumes that seemed to be coming from a large hole in the side of the building. The owner of the building, a vehicle repair shop, said he would put in additional filtering after being made aware of the issue.

TELEVISION QUEST
10:19 p.m. — 1300 block of 32nd Street.

Civil Problem: A man agreed to buy a used 42-inch flat-screen television for $160. Five days after the man gave the seller the money, he notified the police that the TV still has not been delivered to his house. The man said he called the several times to have him bring the TV over, with no results. The seller said that his ex-girlfriend would not allow him inside the residence, so he could not get the TV and deliver it. The man asked police to retrieve the TV for him. An officer informed the man that this is a civil matter, and that he would have to go to court to get it resolved.

March 14
ON THE FENCE
5 p.m. — 1400 block of Fruitville Road.

Suspicion General/Unknown: An employee at a thrift store reported that sometime over the weekend, a small wood fence on the east side of their property was damaged and destroyed by unknown means. The employee reported that the fence was valued at $150. An officer looked around the area, and could not tell if the fence was intentionally vandalized or if it was hit by a vehicle.

March 16
PRESSED FOR ANSWERS
4:15 p.m. — 2000 block of Bay Street.

Petit Theft — Shoplifting: An employee at a grocery store noticed a man quickly walking toward the exit with several food items pressed against his chest. The items were not in a bag, and the man bypassed the checkout stations without paying. When the employee confronted him, he initially denied taking the items, but eventually admitted that he had not paid for them. The man took a bottle of wine, two packages of sushi and some ham.

FRIEND OR FOE?
9:40 p.m. — 1900 block of 32nd Street.

Suspicion General/Unknown: A woman reported that she was missing $14 from her purse. The woman said that her friend was the only person around her at the time the money went missing, and that she did not see her friend take the money. The friend said she did not take anything from the woman, and that she has her own job and does not have to take money from anybody. The woman said she does not wish to prosecute for the theft.