Woman called police after yelling at child for picking flowers at Payne Park

Thursday, April 21

Reckless riders

10:53 p.m., 1900 block of Morrill Street

Criminal mischief: A woman confronting reckless two-wheeler riders told police one of the riders damaged her vehicle. The complainant advised that riders of four electric bicycles or motorcycles were weaving in and out of traffic. When stopped at a traffic signal she rolled down her window and told the four subjects to stop driving recklessly. 

One of the subjects, she said, called her a colorful colloquialism for a female dog while another kicked her driver side mirror, breaking it. All of them then fled westbound on Main Street. She told police that if the subjects were found she wished to press charges.

Friday, April 22

Watered down

2:14 p.m., 4800 block of Old Bradenton Road

Property damage: An apartment tenant who said she was treated rudely by property management regarding leaks from upstairs said the leak began several days earlier. Water was leaking into her kitchen from the unit above, and property management yelled at her when she contacted them to report the damage. 

Then when she arrived home on April 22 she noticed water coming from upstairs into her living room, saying she believed the damage is being done intentionally because she feels the property manager is prejudiced. Contact was made with the upstairs neighbor who advised that someone repaired the leak the previous week. She was then told since the repair was made the leak had gotten worse. The officer instructed both tenants to contact property management as soon as possible.

Back to Bartow

11:17 p.m., 1500 block of Benjamin Franklin Drive

Dispute: A social media post sparked an argument between a couple that brought police to Lido Beach. The complainant state she got into an argument with her boyfriend of four months over the post, but that no physical altercation had ensued and that she had decided to leave the hotel at which they were staying and return home to Bartow. 

Prior to the officer’s arrival, the subject male had briefly blocked the woman’s vehicle with his truck, preventing her from leaving because she refused to give him the key to their room. The complainant said she was not aware she had the key, but upon closer examination found she had two. The two had separated before the officer’s arrival and were driving away, but stopped to be interviewed.

The officer observed no sign of a physical altercation on either party, and the complainant continued on to Bartow and the man returned to the hotel.

Saturday, April 23

Phantom phlegm

5:31 p.m., 2000 block of Adams Lane

Dispute: A woman called police after yelling at a man’s child for picking flowers off a bush at Payne Park. The complainant said she yelled at the child because she was “hurting the plant by picking flowers because it has feelings.” The complainant stated that a male subject who was sitting close by yelled back at her and told her to not yell at someone else’s child. She yelled back, then proceeded to lie face down on a blanket in the grass.

She said she believes the male subject then spit on her as he was walking away. She said she did not see the alleged salacious sputum, nor did the officer observe any saliva on her. The man told the officer he was dipping tobacco and was spitting, but was several feet away from the complainant and never sprayed spittle in her direction. The officer found no evidence of tobacco residue on the woman and advised both parties to avoid each other.