The following are actual police reports as written by Longboat Key Police Officers. They are edited for length, punctuation and to protect privacy.
May 2
Property
11:30 a.m.
Officer Nazareno responded to the 1000 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive to the security gate for a property damage report. Upon arrival, Officer Nazareno was met by a security officer who said that a white Honda Accord drove through the exit lane at the north gate and damaged the gate arm. The estimated cost of the damage was $1,000 and Officer Akers showed the video of the incident where the vehicle drove through the exit lane and the front passenger side window grazed the gate arm which fell off after it raised. Officer Akers advised that they are in process of checking the employee records and will attempt to make contact with the owner of the vehicle. Officer Akers was given a case number. Case clear.
Noise
8:35 p.m.
Officer Miklos and Officer Tillman were dispatched to Broadway in reference to loud music reported by a caller. Upon arrival in the area, Officer Miklos observed three buses idling on Broadway and loud music coming from the restaurant. Officer Miklos spoke with a man who said he was one of the DJs. The man advised a large wedding was going on that was ending at 11p.m. and officers stood by while the guests left the area. Case clear.
May 3
Citizen assist
4:08 p.m.
Officer Nazareno was dispatched to the 4500 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive for a citizen assist regarding two women that appear to be intoxicated at the beach area. Upon arrival, Officer Nazareno observed the two women walking and they appeared as though they had consumed alcoholic beverages and were walking with a man who did not appear to be under the influence of any alcoholic beverages. Both women stated that they had consumed alcoholic drinks prior to going to the beach. No alcoholic beverages were found in their possession. The man drove the vehicle when they left the parking lot. Case clear.
May 4
Juvenile
6:00 p.m.
Officer Tillman while on patrol on Gulf of Mexico Drive and observed seven juveniles on the west side on the west side of the bridge that appeared to have been jumping from the bridge into the water. The juveniles were all observed as being wet and in swimsuits. Officer Tillman advised the juveniles as to the dangers and consequences of jumping from the bridge. Officer Tillman then proceeded to turn around at Coquina and observed only three remaining juveniles on the bridge. The other four juveniles were last seen swimming toward a boat in the water and no other action could be taken from land. Case clear.
Vehicle
8:40 p.m.
Sgt. Puccio while on patrol in the 100 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive when he observed a vehicle traveling southbound with a driver’s side front headlight out. At that point, Sgt. Puccio initiated a traffic stop on the vehicle and met with the driver. Sgt. Puccio explained to him the reason for the stop and asked him for his driver’s license which he stated that he did not have a Florida Driver’s License and did not speak English and was from Honduras. The driver did provide a voice translator via his cell phone and was able to explain what the reason for the stop was. He was able to provide his full name and cell phone number. The vehicle he was driving was obtained via Sarasota Sheriff’s Dispatch. The vehicle registration came back registered to a friend of his, who he related he was staying with. Officer Miklos arrived on scene and conducted an ID check which came back negative. Sgt. Puccio issued the driver a UTC for Driving without a driver license and a written warning for the headlight being out. He was provided a Sarasota County Court date and time which he responded he understood. The driver contacted a friend with a valid driver’s license who enroute from Sarasota to pick up the driver’s vehicle and provide him a way home. The listed driver was instructed not to drive until he obtains a valid driver’s license. Case clear.
May 5
Vehicle
1:25 p.m.
Officer Pescuma responded to Harbour Sound Drive in reference to a suspicious vehicle reported on the side of the road by a resident. Upon arrival, Officer Pescuma observed a white Chevrolet truck operated by a utility services company. Officer Pescuma did an FCIC/NCIC check which confirmed that the vehicle was not stolen nor abandoned. The vehicle information was given to the Public Works Department as requested. Case clear.
Found property
4:02 p.m.
Officer Zunz responded to the front desk of the Police Department for a vacationer who wanted to turn in a necklace she found on the south end of Longboat Key. The necklace was stamped .925 which indicated that it’s sterling silver with gold plating. Attached to the necklace is a locket that bears the name of the man presumably pictured inside. The necklace was put into a storage locker for safe keeping. Case clear.
Vehicle
5:28 p.m.
Officer Ericsson and Officer Van Dyke were dispatched to Cedar Street on a report of a suspicious vehicle. Upon arrival, officers contacted the caller who stated there was a van parked on his vacant lot. Officer Ericsson checked the van through FCIC/NCIC which revealed no wants/warrants and was not reported stolen. The caller stated he was concerned because the house next to his lot is vacant and he was worried someone might have broken into the residence. Officer Van Dyke and Officer Ericsson checked the next door residence which appeared to be unoccupied. The interior could be seen through the windows and officers observed exposed studs and no drywall. All doors and windows were secure and the residence appeared to be vacant. Case clear.
Noise
10:19 p.m.
Officer Troyer was dispatched to Falmouth Drive for a report of a noise disturbance. The complainant said he wanted to report construction noise coming from one of the apartments, whereas there were two men working on construction at the residence. Upon arrival, Officer Troyer met with the complainant who reported he heard and saw construction coming from one of the apartments. The complainant knew the noise ordinance and knew at the hours, construction was prohibited. The complainant attempted to confront the subjects working at the residence but they got into a brief argument and then the complainant left. The complainant said there were issues with the homeowner not following the HOA bylaws about rentals, along with possibly not having the work permitted. The complainant requested Officer Troyer speak with the subjects about the incident. Officer Troyer knocked on the front door approximately five times before he received an answer. While there, Officer Troyer didn’t observe or hear any construction noise coming from the residence. Officer Troyer made contact with the construction worker who was informed by Officer Troyer about why he was there. The construction worker said the men were at the residence doing work. The man’s truck broke down and would only go into reverse so he and his coworkers unloaded their equipment into the residence to prevent theft and were given permission to stay the night. The man put Officer Troyer on the phone with the homeowner’s brother, who concurred the above listed information and who gave them verbal permission to be at the residence. The man told Officer Troyer he would be gone in the morning, once he gets help getting the truck repaired. The man said the argument started when the complainant came yelling at him about moving the equipment into the residence. The man said he wouldn’t have another man yell in his face. The construction worker didn’t want any issues and only wanted to sleep. Officer Troyer cautioned the worker about the construction noise if they were indeed working. The worker understood and was familiar with the noise ordinance. Officer Troyer made contact with the complainant again and gave him the results of the investigation. Case clear.
May 6
Citizen assist
9:16 a.m.
Officer Van Dyke responded to Channel Lane for a dispute. Upon arrival, Officer Van Dyke spoke with the complainant who advised that she met a woman on Facebook Marketplace who was selling her bed frame to the complainant for $100 cash but their availability didn’t line up to meet in person. The complainant recently moved to Sarasota but still owns a home on Channel Lane. Ultimately, the two arranged to have two people pick up the bed frame on May 2 at noon while the seller was away, with intentions to leave $100 cash within the residence. According to the seller, the money wasn’t left for her, therefore she requested that Officer Van Dyke call the seller, the money wasn’t left for her and she requested Officer Van Dyke resolve the debt with the seller. Officer Van Dyke then called the seller who was cooperative throughout the phone call. The seller advised Officer Van Dyke that she doesn’t drive, therefore no cash was left behind. According to the seller, the buyer immediately accused her of being a fraud, therefore didn’t cooperate going forward. In summary, the seller advised that she could arrange travel to the Sarasota Police Department at Adams Lane at Noon to exchange $100 cash. In summary, the seller advised that she could arrange travel to the Police Department at noon to exchange the $100 cash and the buyer graciously accepted the offer. Case clear.
May 8
Incident
3:38 p.m.
Officer Maple and Officer Nazareno responded to St. Judes Drive for a suspicious incident call. Officer Maple made contact with the complainant at the location. Officer Maple made contact with the complainant and verified him with a driver’s license. The complainant reported finding six knives stabbed into the ground at the St. Jude’s residence. Officer Maple located the knives at the scene which were about a foot from the road. Knives did not appear to be criminal in nature and were removed by the officer for resident’s safety. Officer Maple collected the knives and disposed of them properly. Officer Maple cleared the scene after completing the investigation. Case clear.
