The following are actual police reports as written by Longboat Key Police Officers. They are edited for length, punctuation and to protect privacy.
July 12
Citizen assist
9:05 p.m.
Officer Maple was dispatched to the corner of North Shore Road and Firehouse Court regarding a disturbance. Upon Officer Maple’s arrival, the call was upgraded to officer assistance. The call was initially made by a caller who reported that she was on a boat off of Longboat Key with her friend and a man when they got into a verbal argument with the man who had told both women to leave the boat. At the scene, Officer Maple made contact with a passerby who said he had been flagged down by two young women whose cell phones had died and who had requested assistance. Officer Maple then interviewed the two women, aged 19 and 21 years old, who explained they and been out on a boat with an acquaintance they had known for a few days and got into an argument with him and then he beached the boat, threw their property into the water and ordered them to disembark the vessel. Both women confirmed that the incident didn’t involve any physical altercation. They said that the man had become upset because they were “talking too much.” One of the women further explained that her belongings were in her car at a boat dock in Tampa, where they had departed from earlier that morning. Both women’s cell phones were completely discharged at the time of the incident. Officer Maple transported the women to the Longboat Key Police Department, where he provided them with charging cords to recharge their phones while they contacted an Uber driver. Officer Nazareno arrived to assist and remained in the parking lot of the police station while the women were inside the building, staying until the Uber driver arrived. The Uber driver subsequently picked up the two women and transported them to their vehicle in Tampa. No criminal activity was determined to have occurred during the incident. Both officers simply provided assistance to help the women return to their vehicle. Case clear.
Vehicle
9:50 p.m.
Officer Smith while on patrol observed a vehicle parked in front of a residence under construction. Officer Smith made contact with the driver and she said she was just picking up a friend from the beach. The driver left the area without further incident. Case clear.
July 13
Incident
7:12 p.m.
Officer Maple responded to the 400 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive for a suspicious incident at the gas station. Upon arrival, Officer Maple canvassed the gas station to locate the suspicious vehicle that had been reported. The vehicle was described as a brown Toyota sedan with no plate given. The complainant had reported observing an approximately 30 year-old woman wearing a long-sleeved shirt with a head covering. Officer Maple was unable to locate the vehicle as it was gone on arrival. While Officer Tillman and Officer Maple continued canvassing the area, the complainant arrived on scene to provide additional information. She said she had observed one woman with headgear standing outside the vehicle cleaning a windshield with a child in her hand. The complainant also described seeing two other men in the area. She explained that she had told herself that if they were still there when she returned tot he island, she would call the police. When she returned the woman was still present with the vehicle, however, the men had departed. At that point, the complainant called 911. After speaking with the complainant, Officer Tillman did not determine any suspicious incident had taken place and concluded that no further law enforcement presence was necessary. Case clear.
July 14
Suspicious person
11:39 a.m.
Officer Pescuma was dispatched to Putting Green Lane in reference to a suspicious person on or near the property. The caller stated she could see what appeared to be worker’s from her front door camera. Upon arriving on scene, Officer Pescuma observed contractors from Comcast installing conduit that starts from the west side of the property and will go under the driveway towards the east. The caller was concerned of property damage, however, Comcast stated that her property will not be affected. No suspicious activity observed. Case clear.
Vehicle
2:02 p.m.
Officer Pescuma while conducting traffic enforcement, observed the defendant driving southbound on Gulf of Mexico Drive. Officer Pescuma while conducting traffic enforcement, observed a vehicle driving southbound on Gulf of Mexico Drive and speeding. The radar detector confirmed the defendant was speeding at 48 mph in a posted 35 mph. The vehicle was located and a traffic stop was conducted on a 2022 SUV. Officer Pescuma made contact with the driver on May 18, and Officer Pescuma advised him the reason for the traffic stop. Officer Pescuma advised the driver that he was observed doing 48 mph in a 35 mph zone then asked for the operator’s driver’s license. The driver handed the officer his Florida driver’s license that has a ‘business purpose only’ restriction that expires on Oct. 2025. The driver had two passengers and said that they were from out of town and he was showing them around. At the time of the traffic stop, the driver was not driving to and from his place of business nor was it an emergency. Officer Pescuma issued a criminal citation for ‘Failure to Obey Driver’s License Restriction.’ Additionally a citation was issued for unlawful speed. Officer Pescuma advised that the driver could not drive, he made arrangements for transportation. Case clear.
July 15
Trespassing
3:43 p.m.
Officer Pescuma was dispatched to the 6800 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive in reference to a 50 year old man trespassing at the establishment, subject was last seen shirtless with gray shorts. Upon arriving on scene, Officer Van Dyke and Sgt. Butler located the subject at the 6900 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive who was checked through FCIC/NCIC and yielded negative results for warrants. The man said that he bought a sailing vessel with a blue hull named ‘Perserverance’ about a week ago and is currently anchored off of Linley Street boat ramp. The man appears to be a transient and was asked by the manager of the bar not to return to the bar. The manager didn’t want to issue a trespass warning, however requested the officers speak with him to ensures he honors his request. Case clear.
July 16
Med card expired…
2:28 a.m.
Officer Troyer while on patrol when he observed a Ford SUV with a defective driver side headlight where no light was being emitted. Officer Troyer conducted a traffic stop and spoke with the driver. Upon speaking with the driver, Officer Troyer smelled the odor of marijuana which emitted from the vehicle. Officer Troyer asked the driver if he possessed a medical marijuana card to which the driver provided. Upon observing the medical marijuana card issued, Officer Troyer noticed the card was expired as of Jan. 25, 2024. Officer Troyer asked him if there was any marijuana in the vehicle, to which he said there was. Officer Troyer asked the driver to exit the vehicle and read him his constitutional rights per Miranda, to which he agreed to speak with the officer. Officer Troyer conducted a probable cause search of the vehicle due to the driver not being an active medical marijuana card holder and the odor of marijuana emitting from the vehicle. Upon conducting the search, Officer Troyer located two containers which are typically used to break down marijuana into smaller sizes, commonly referred to as ‘Grinders.’ Officer Troyer located a green leafy substance consistent with marijuana inside both containers. The grinders were located in the center console of the vehicle where the driver said they were. One of the grinders was a clear jar with the black rubber type covering and a multi-colored lid. The other container was simply-multicolored. Inside of the black rubber covered jar, and observed a visible amount of loose green leafy substance, whereas the other container only had a small amount of loose green leafy substance. Officer Troyer conducted a roadside field test of the green leafy substance, testing for marijuana. The presumptive field test resulted in a purple color, which indicated a positive result. Based on the investigation, Officer Troyer found probable cause to charge the driver with possession of marijuana. Marijuana was entered into containers as evidence and Officer Troyer confiscated the expired medical marijuana license. Case clear.
