July 31
Suspended Animation
1:01 p.m.
Officer Van Dyke responded to a traffic stop near the 1000 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive. Sgt. Butler, while on patrol, conducted a traffic stop on a 2018 white Dodge Ram. It was the same violation the driver had been pulled over for previously. The driver stated he recently had visited the DMV in Manatee County and reinstated his driver’s license, therefore he’s unsure whether his driver’s license is currently suspended. Although ELVIS indicated that there was no insurance on file, documentation was provided by the driver with the policy number. The driver was issued a citation for Driving While License Suspended with Knowledge. The driver was advised that he cannot drive until his driver’s license is valid, and the officer followed him to his job site nearby to find a licensed employee. Case clear.
Aug. 1
A Reel Misunderstanding
11:19 p.m.
Officer Troyer while on patrol was dispatched to Longboat Drive East for a trespass. The complainant contacted dispatch to report a burglary at his home where he observed two subjects enter into his gated property. The caller reported that it was on camera. Upon arrival, Officer Troyer entered through the front gate with his department issued firearm drawn to clear the residence. Officer Troyer also heard male voices talking that were coming from the back side of the property. As he came around the side of the residence, he quickly observed two subjects, and shouted loud and clear verbal commands, “Police, hands up.” The subjects complied and Officer Troyer holstered his weapon. The subjects were holding fishing poles and quickly said they were fishing but this was a misunderstanding. The subjects were identified and said they had permission to be on the property and fish. One of the men said he had the same contractor as the homeowner and the contractor told the man he spoke with that it was okay to fish at night on the property. Officer Troyer brought the man to his patrol vehicle so they could wait until Officer Troyer contacted the homeowner. Officer Troyer spoke with the homeowner and informed him of the situation so far, and what the men said. The homeowner asked who they were and where they lived. The homeowner said he had no idea who the men were nor did he ever give them permission to fish on the property. The homeowner was upset about the contractor telling someone else he could fish because he only told the contractor he could fish there. In the end, the homeowner did not wish to prosecute and told Officer Troyer he only wanted him trespassed from the property. Officer Troyer checked the property out and did not observe any signs of damage or suspicious activity. The residence appeared to be under construction and the homeowner said he did not believe they actually took anything. Case clear.
Aug. 2
Withdrawal Symptoms
9:29 a.m. S
gt. Butler while on patrol was approached by an 80-year-old man who reported finding a debit card left inside the ATM at the Bank of America across the street. Sgt. Butler responded to the ATM and recovered the debit card, which displayed a name. A DAVID inquiry identified the cardholder as a Longboat Key resident. The debit card was secured for safekeeping and return to its owner. No further police action was taken at that time. Case clear.
Aug. 3
Behind the Eight Ball
12:32 p.m.
Officer Martinson was dispatched to Putter Lane on a call of a family disturbance. Upon arrival, Officer Martinson observed a white SUV parked in the driveway of the residence with the garage door open. Officer Martinson did not locate anyone inside the garage so he walked up to the front door and knocked. The door was answered by a man who stated he was the previous owner of the home and had sold it to his son. The man said his son was not home but he would call him. Officer Martinson then spoke to the homeowner over the cell phone. The son said that he and his ex-girlfriend both own 50 percent of the property. The homeowner said they’re currently going through a breakup but he gave permission for his father to be at his property. The homeowner said he requested his father come by the home while some work was being done and a pool table was being disassembled and moved. Officer Martinson then spoke to the caller, who confirmed she was the ex-girlfriend and that the two were going through a breakup. Officer Martinson explained to the ex-girlfriend that since both she and the son own the property, he cannot remove the father from the home if he has permission from the son to be there. Officer Martinson explained that if she believes any property that belongs to her is missing from the home it would be a civil matter and she would have to hire an attorney. The ex-girlfriend advised that she already has an attorney and was advised by them that this is a civil matter. The ex-girlfriend stated she just wanted to make sure the incident was documented for a future civil lawsuit. Officer Martinson provided her with the case number. Case clear.
Drink and Dash
6:03 p.m.
Officer Castro was dispatched to Yawl Lane in reference to a report of a suspicious person. Upon arrival, Officer Castro made contact with the complainant and property owner. The owner said that a white man wearing a blue shirt and blue jeans approached her while she was gardening in her front flower bed. The owner reported that the man requested water and she said that she went inside her residence to retrieve a bottle of water, which she then provided to the individual. The man left the area immediately. The homeowner’s doorbell camera captured the man and she provided Officer Castro with the image of the individual. The homeowner contacted law enforcement approximately one hour after the encounter because she was concerned that the man could be inside a home under construction across from her residence. After viewing the image of the man from the doorbell camera, Officer Castro recognized the man walking northbound on Gulf of Mexico Drive as he was en route to the residence. Officer Castro made contact with the man in the 2300 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive and he willingly stopped to speak to Officer Castro. The man identified himself but was unable to produce identification. The man appeared to be homeless and he said he was staying with a friend a few blocks away but could not provide an address. Initially, the man provided a date of birth and then changed the date. A person and warrant check was conducted; however, his name did not return any results in available databases. The man refused to provide any additional information and then fled the area on foot. Attempts to locate him were unsuccessful. Case clear.
Aug. 5
Catch and Release
6:05 p.m.
Officer Nazareno was dispatched to Bay Isles Parkway for a trespassing call regarding four male subjects fishing in the Bay Isles Association area at the golf course who were not authorized to be in the area. Upon arrival, Officer Nazareno made contact with the complainant who trespassed the individuals from the property. FCIC/NCIC checks for wants, warrants, and previous trespass warnings were all negative. All male subjects agreed and signed the Trespass Warnings, which ban them from all Bay Isles Association property including the golf course, moorings and residential areas behind the security gates. Case clear.
Running on Empty
10:35 p.m.
Officer Troyer was dispatched to Broadway Street in reference to a suspicious incident regarding possible fuel being siphoned out of a vehicle. The caller reported diesel fuel was possibly taken from his truck while dining in the restaurant. The caller originally only wanted to speak with an officer via phone to see if it were an issue, however due to the nature, Officer Troyer responded. Upon arrival, Officer Troyer met with the caller who explained he had a dinner reservation at the restaurant and he had three-quarters of a tank of fuel and had refueled approximately four days prior. When the caller went to leave the restaurant, his truck was out of fuel, and he believed the fuel had been siphoned out of his truck because he knew he had three-quarters of a tank when he arrived at the restaurant. The caller spoke with restaurant staff and they showed him video footage, but he didn’t have time to wait around for the whole video and he didn’t initially see any fuel being siphoned from his truck on the video footage. The caller said the truck was valet parked directly against the building on the west side, notably in view of the cameras mounted on the building. The caller did not believe there was an issue with the fuel tank on his truck, as the truck was fairly new and when he started the truck, the fuel gauge moved as it should have. The caller left the truck behind as he did not want to run out of fuel on the road attempting to get to a fuel station. The caller did not wish to pursue charges against anyone and he only wished to report it to make law enforcement aware in case there was a fuel thief. There was no video footage reviewed while the truck was left at the restaurant, and follow up will be conducted to review the footage. Officer Troyer looked under the vehicle while it was in the parking lot. Officer Troyer did not see any apparent fuel leakage coming from the truck. At the time, even though the caller didn’t want to prosecute, follow up will be conducted to determine if the crime of theft was committed. The caller told Officer Troyer he would report back if he discovered there was an issue with his vehicle. Based on Officer Troyer’s investigation, he did not observe any fuel being taken from the truck. Case clear.
