Sarasota Cops Corner: Was it a ghost?

Tuesday, April 5

Pooped out prank

8:30 a.m., 2100 block of Ben Franklin Drive

Suspicious package: When a woman went to retrieve her mail, she noticed a package she had not been expecting. When she opened it, she discovered a bag that appeared to be full of some kind of animal waste. An officer evaluated the bag and the package, and noticed the sender’s address was linked to a company that sends prank packages. It was found that the substance in the bag was a mix of dirt and ground materials, not poop.

Road rage

2:30 p.m., 1000 block of Tamiami Trail

Suspicious incident: A woman told police that she was being followed by a woman she did not know. When she parked the car, the woman parked closely and an argument occurred. When officers spoke with the other woman, she said she was following her because she was driving very slowly and stopping for no reason. The officer said both women “exchanged middle fingers” and no arrests were made.

Wednesday, April 6

Was it a ghost?

5:30 a.m., 2900 block of Bay Street

Suspicious incident: A man called police because he saw the silhouette of a someone behind his blinds. He said he also heard a man’s voice, but could not find any disturbance when scanning his yard. Officers could not locate anyone outside and observed that the man’s blinds were closed. The man’s wife told officers she thought the man had just seen the reflection of tree branches, but the man was insistent that he saw the silhouette of a person. No suspects were identified.

Making a run for it

7 p.m., 2300 block of Orange Street

Traffic complaint: Police identified a man with a warrant in a stolen vehicle and pulled him over. But before police could detain the man, he fled on foot, leaving drugs and a backpack behind in the stolen car. Officers said the car smelled heavily of burned marijuana. The owner of the car eventually came to the scene and recovered the vehicle. Police searched for the man, but could not identify where he went.

Can’t fool me

11:30 p.m., 5000 block of Tamiami Trail

Suspicious incident: A woman complained to hotel staff of several incidents during her stay. She first said she smelled marijuana through the vents, and was able to identify the odor of opiates, because of her  experiences as a social worker. She told hotel staff she saw a young girl crying alone near her room, and that her phone and television did not work. She told officers she worried she may become sick from smelling the odors. Officers helped the woman find a safe place to stay.