Cops Corner

Passenger turns violent against presumed good Samaritan

Picked up in downtown and taken to a bayfront park, a woman begins hitting her would-be rescuer as he calls police. This and other Sarasota Police Department reports in this week's Cops Corner.


  • By
  • | 5:00 a.m. August 14, 2024
  • Sarasota
  • Cops Corner
  • Share

Wednesday, July 31

Photo evidence

8:07 p.m., 2000 block of Central Avenue

Disturbance: Responding to a disturbance call, an officer met with the complainant who advised she and her roommate, an adult male, were in a verbal argument earlier in the evening. She stated she returned from work just before 7 p.m. when the two were supposed to have a “serious talk.” She said her roommate went into the bathroom and, when he took longer than expected, got frustrated and started yelling at him. 

When the man exited the bathroom, the argument intensified over “inappropriate” photos he found on the woman’s phone, indicating that she was cheating. 

The woman said the two have been on and off for more than four years and just recently moved in together. Officers attempted to separate the two, but neither were able to leave the residence. The reason for that was not specified. Both agreed to sleep in separate rooms for the evening to avoid further conflict.


Thursday, Aug. 1

Bike rage

8:20 p.m., 500 block of South Orange Avenue

Criminal mischief: The driver of a Tesla met with an officer after he was attacked by a bicyclist. The complainant said he was driving his uncle's vehicle on Orange Avenue when he stopped and turned on his turn signal to turn into the parking lot. That’s when a man described as in his late 60s riding a bike in the opposite direction stopped, dismounted, raised his front tire into the air and hit it against the driver door. 

The officer observed a small black mark consistent with a bike tire. The complainant said he is from out of state and is in town visiting his uncle, adding that his uncle did not wish to prosecute but wanted a case number for insurance purposes.


Friday, Aug. 2

Stoplight scare

1:12 p.m., SPD headquarters

Disturbance: A complainant called the SPD front desk to report an incident that occurred in the area of North Washington Boulevard and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Way. She said she had recently ejected her husband from their Bradenton apartment because he was cheating on her.

At the time of the incident, she was driving with her son through Sarasota when she stopped at the traffic signal. That’s when she said her husband, pulled up next to her and began yelling at her, accusing her of following him, apparently for good reason.

She said he yelled, "I can't believe you put me out. I'm going to kill you. You ruined my life.” Then he allegedly advised her that she should take a trip to a very hot destination. Opting to not accept his travel suggestion, when the light turned green she drove away.

The complainant wanted the incident documented because of prior abuse. She also asked about her husband using her debit card without her permission to make a child support payment to another child's mother in Tennessee. The officer advised she would have to check with her bank if it required a police report, and also to consider obtaining an order of protection against him if she was afraid of violence.


Saturday, Aug. 3

iPad incident

8 a.m., 5000 block of North Tamiami Trail

Dispute: Merely wanting his tablet returned, a complainant told an officer that his “lady friend” had taken his iPad and would not return it. He said the two left their motel room to go shopping, but upon returning at around 1 a.m. the woman locked him out of the room. Why she did so was not specified.

Spending the next four hours at an undisclosed location, the complainant said he knocked on the door at 5 a.m., and the woman agreed to return all of his property except the iPad. She wasn’t using the device, he said, because he was in sole possession of the screen lock code.

The officer knocked on the door and asked the woman to return the tablet, which she did. The nature of the pair’s relationship was not disclosed on the incident report. The man declined to press charges and no further action was taken.


Tuesday, Aug. 6

Good Samaritan

9:30 p.m., 1700 block of Ken Thompson Parkway

Battery: Driving through the streets of downtown, a man told an officer he observed a woman he did not know and believed he was helping her by giving her a ride and taking her through a fast-food drive through to provide sustenance. He then stated they drove to Hart's Landing so he could speak with the woman further. 

He said the woman seemed to enjoy listening to music with him for a while, then he drove to Ken Thompson Park to enjoy the view. That’s when, according to the man, for no discernible reason, the woman began to scream at him and struck him with her fist. He said he attempted to calm her for about 10 minutes but, while continuing to yell at him, she reached over and kept activating the car horn.

The complainant said he then told the woman he was calling law enforcement and, while doing so, she left the area on foot. He provided a description and said he does not wish to press charges. A canvass of the area to locate the mystery woman was unsuccessful. Why he believed it was a good idea to pick up a strange woman and take her on an evening bayside sight-seeing tour was not disclosed.

 

Latest News

Sponsored Content