Shoplifter needed presents for friends in Bradenton

Interesting Sheriff's Office reports in Lakewood Ranch, Bradenton

By Jay Heater
| 8:50 a.m. September 5, 2018

East County
Cops Corner

Aug. 29

SOMEONE WON'T GET A GIFT

7300 52nd Place East, Bradenton

Shoplifting: A woman entered a department store and began putting items in her purse while being watched by loss prevention employees. Eventually, she approached the cash registers with a separate set of items and then tried to leave the premises. Loss prevention detained her and waited for a deputy to arrive. The woman told the deputy she was sorry and she was only stealing items so she could later present them to her friends as gifts. She said she was having financial issues due to a pending divorce. All property was recovered and the suspect was arrested on the scene and transported to jail.

Aug. 29

SHOPLIFTER HAD NO STYLE

7300 block of 52nd Place East, Bradenton

Retail theft. A suspect went into a clothing store and took items into the changing room, including a pair of black pants. The woman had gone into the changing room wearing white pants. She then went to the front register, where she paid for other items, but not the black pants. Loss prevention employees stopped her as she attempted to leave the store without having paid for the black pants. When she was taken to an office, she also revealed she had stolen a pair of earrings. She was given a notice to appear and then was allowed to leave. The items totalled $29.78.

Aug. 30

PACKED WITH INTRIGUE

3100 block of Oriole Drive, Sarasota

Suspicious circumstance: A deputy arrived at a home in reference to a possible burglary. The homeowners had been away from their residence for two hours and when they returned the garage door was open even though they are sure they closed it when they left. When they went into the house, they said they found a suitcase they packed for a vacation turned upside down with their clothes strewn about. They said nothing seemed to be missing from their home and it didn't appear any crime had been committed. They said it wasn't the first time something weird has happened at their home. They said they will be installing a security camera.