Cops Corner 1.7.2016

Blowing up the inbox
Jan. 1
6800 block of Winslow Street
Criminal mischief: During the night someone used fireworks to blow up a resident’s mailbox. Around the same time at the 5400 block of Fairway Bend, Sarasota, another mailbox was also blown up with the same kind of fireworks. There were no witnesses.

No locks, no wallets
Dec. 27
8100 36th Street East
Burglary: A man opened his unlocked car and noticed the center console compartment was open. He didn’t think more of it because he thought he had left it open by accident. Later that night the man heard from several neighbors that other cars in his area had been broken into, so he checked the compartment again. Two wallets with $10 were taken, along with his social security card and several department store credit cards. He canceled his cards.

Finder’s fee
Dec. 31
12100 U.S. 301 North
Theft: A man was at Dollar General and left his wallet on the counter. The customer behind him was seen on camera picking up the wallet and putting it in his pocket. When the victim got home, he found his wallet in his mailbox. Everything in it was in place except his cash, which had all been removed. The Sheriff’s Office retrieved the video from Dollar General for review.

Jumping to conclusions
Dec. 23
3500 block of University Parkway
Burglary: A man pushed a shopping cart up to a house and put a bicycle and two pogo sticks that had been leaning up against the house into the cart. While he was removing the items, a neighbor heard the noise of the shopping cart and confronted the man. The man left the area but was located down the road by deputies. He admitted to taking the property, but said that the neighbor and Jesus told him to return it.