Cops Corner: Sarasota 5.4.17

April 28

CAUGHT RED FOOTED
4 p.m. — 1400 block of 32nd Street
Property damage: A man told officers that, sometime during the night, someone tried to break into the unoccupied home he owns and is renovating. Officers noticed a footprint outside of the front door, and some damage to the door’s frame. The man said he had many tools in the home, but nothing appeared to be missing or disturbed other than the doorframe.

SPRAY AND SMASH
6 p.m. — 2100 block of Ringling Boulevard
Property damage: An employee reported an act of vandalism that occurred within his company’s parking garage. He said unknown suspects had set off nine of the garage’s fire extinguishers in the stairwells. Also, they threw two concrete parking bumpers off the fifth floor, smashing them against the ground. The employee said skateboarders are occasionally in the garage after-hours, and suspected they could have been responsible for the damage.

April 30

WAKE-UP CALL
7:01 a.m. — 4000 block of North Tamiami Trail
Property damage: The manager of a motel reported that a man tried to get into the business’ front office by pulling on the side door handle and banging on the door. The disturbance woke the manager up. She said the man proceeded to rip a metal piece off the fence surrounding the pool and banged it against the office window. The man then left the property, but walked past the hotel again 20 or 30 minutes later. Officers were unable to find anyone in the area matching the description given.

May 1

GETAWAY CAR
5:55 a.m. — 1900 block of Panama Drive
Suspicion: A man reported there was a van parked next to the apartment complex in which he lives, and he suspected illicit activity was taking place in the van. The van was gone by the time officers arrived.