Cops Corner: Sarasota 02.11.16

Feb. 7

ANOTHER BRICK ON THE LAWN
11:30 p.m. — 400 block of South Polk Drive
Suspicion: A man reported that an unknown person had dumped several construction bricks onto his front yard at some point over the past three days. The man said he would clean up the bricks himself, but he still wanted a report filed on the incident.

Feb. 8

LOCKING HORNS
3:21 p.m. — 1700 block of 35th Street
Dispute: A woman agreed to rent a room from a landlord for $450 per month. The landlord told her that she owed extra for January, because there were five weeks in the month. The woman did not pay, and the landlord changed the locks. Officers told the woman that the landlord was not allowed to change the locks, because she had established residency. They also provided the landlord with information regarding the formal eviction process.

NAILED
4 p.m. — 1400 block of First Street
Suspicion: An officer observed a man walking into a parking garage with what appeared to be a sawed off shotgun. The man was repeatedly racking the object, startling customers in the area. Another man, wearing a T-shirt with the same heating company logo, told the officer the man was his son. The father said the man had a concrete nail gun, not a weapon. The father had the son put the object on the ground and discovered it was a tool rather than a shotgun. Officers advised the man to exercise better judgment in the future.

DAY DRINKING
6:09 p.m. — 1800 block of South Tamiami Trail
Suspicion: An officer responded to a call regarding a suspicious person, and found the man mentioned at a neighboring property. The man said he was asked to leave the premises at a gas station and did so without incident. An employee at the gas station said that the man was not trespassing, but said he typically drinks beer on the north side of the property every afternoon. The employee asked officers to patrol the area during that time of the day.

MAIL MALICE
11:01 p.m. — 300 block of Parkland Avenue
Property Damage: A woman found her mailbox knocked off of the post. When considering a possible suspect, they said an estranged associate of the family had sent a threatening letter to one of them recently. The mailbox was not damaged, but the family did report the threatening letter to authorities.