The following are actual police reports as written by Longboat Key Police Officers. They are edited for length, punctuation and to protect privacy.
Oct. 30
Assist agency
7:49 p.m.
Officer Pescuma was dispatched to the 2100 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive in reference to an agency assist for a possible bonfire on the beach. Upon arrival, Longboat Key Fire Department determined that the fire observed was from tiki torches. Case clear.
Oct. 31
Property damage
1:30 p.m.
Officer Maple and Officer Nazareno were dispatched to Exeter Drive for a property damage call. The call was in reference to a Gold Mercedes Benz convertible that had backed into a palm tree on the property of Longboat Harbour. Upon arrival, Officer Maple met with a witness who was passing by the scene and said he came across an accident but did not observe anything. Officer Pescuma ran the license plate and tracked down the address of the driver who lived in one of the apartments. Officer Pescuma made contact with the driver who stated he was attempting to move his vehicle after it had sat for three months. The driver stated when he put the car in reverse the car surge despite him having the brake applied with a significant amount of force. The vehicle reversed approximately 100 feet across the parking lot and came to rest against a small palm tree with the impact area being the left driver’s side rear bumper. Significant damage was observed to the rear bumper. The left rear wheel was also buried in the rock bed but there were no other vehicles stuck or any personal injuries. The driver said he didn’t sustain any injuries and turned down the offer of EMS. The driver had been in touch with the property management and was just awaiting word from his insurance as to what course of action to take. The vehicle was not blocking traffic and was left in the position of impact. Damage was contained to private property and appears to be only civil in nature. Nothing further to report. Case clear.
Nov. 1
Trespassing
2:02 p.m.
Sgt. Smith while on patrol made contact with a man who was seated in a dark gray Toyota Tacoma in the parking lot of the vacation rental property. The man said he had stayed at this location previously and believed his wife had made new reservations for the same unit. After checking his confirmation, the man realized that the reservation was actually for the Inn and apologized for the misunderstanding. The property owner was notified of the circumstances and was satisfied with the explanation and declined to pursue trespass warnings or further action. The man departed the property without incident. Case clear.
Property
3:44 p.m.
Sgt. Smith arrived at Longboat Club Road and made contact with a driver of a U-Haul truck with an Arizona license plate. Investigation determined that the driver attempted to enter the covered entryway of the Key Club Spa and struck the overhead awning with the top of the vehicle. Minor structural damage was observed to the overhang, no injuries were reported. On scene security personnel, were notified of the findings and documented the incident for property management. No signs of impairment were noted and no criminal violations were observed. The incident was determined to be accidental in nature and closed as a property damage report. Information was completed and the parties exchanged information. Case clear.
Nov. 2
Vehicle
3:55 a.m.
Officer Martinson while on patrol observed a gray Honda SUV parked at Overlook Park after hours. When Officer Martinson approached the vehicle, he observed a man sleeping in the front driver seat. Officer Martinson knocked on the window and he woke up. Officer Mrtinson advised the man that the park was closed and he can’t sleep in his vehicle. The man apologized and left without incident. Officer Martinson ran both the man and his vehicle through NCIC/FCIC and they came back clear of any wants or warrants. Case clear.
Citizen assist
9:28 p.m.
Officer Miklos and Sgt. Puccio were dispatched to Harbor Sound Drive in reference to a citizens assist report. Sarasota Sheriff’s Office Dispatch advised that the caller requested officers check all the doors to her residence due to construction workers gaining access to her main living area. Upon arrival, Sgt. Puccio and Officer Miklos conducted a check of all the doors and discovered an unlocked door on the southside of the residence near the air conditioning unit. Officer Miklos contacted the caller and advised her of the unlocked door. The caller advised that the door led to her garage and requested to check the door from inside the garage to the residence. Officer Miklos discovered the door inside the garage to be unlocked. Sgt. Puccio and Officer Miklos retrieved the key from a lockbox on the front door of the residence at the request of the caller. The interior garage door was secured and no other doors were unsecured. The caller advised that no further police assistance was required. Case clear.
Nov. 3
Found property
3:00 p.m.
Officer Pescuma was dispatched to the 5400 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive in reference to the caller wanting to make a report of lost property. Upon arriving on scene at the police parking lot. Officer Pescuma met with the caller who stated he arrived to Longboat Key on Nov. 1 and is staying at the Zota Resort. Then on Nov. 1, the caller stated he went to the ice cream shop for a milkshake and paid with a credit card and tipped with cash. The caller claims to have last seen his wallet and then went back to his hotel. The caller attempted to retrace his steps with negative results. The caller described the wallet as a black leather tri-fold with the following contents: $50 U.S. currency, Visa credit card, American Express card, Medtronic cards, photo. The caller will continue to search his hotel room and will advise if he locates his wallet. In the mean time, he is cancelling his credit cards and the officer will notify him if a wallet is turned in. Case clear.
Nov. 4
Incident
6:46 p.m.
Officer Pescuma was dispatched to the area of Yawl Lane in reference to a possible burglary in progress. The caller said that he observed what appeared to be a flashlight in home across the canal from his residence. The caller lives on Cutter Lane and believes the residence address is on Yawl Lane where the alleged burglary was taking place. The caller did not wish to meet. Upon arriving on scene, Officer Ericsson and Officer Pescuma observed a red Toyota pickup and a man in the driveway later identified. Officer Pescuma advised the man their reason for being there and requested to know if he was required to be at the residence. The man stated he is a handyman for the homeowner. Officer Pescuma made contact with the man who is currenly out of state and verified that the man had permission to be at the residence. No crime was committed and the call was reclassified as a suspicious incident. Case clear.
Noise
7:19 p.m.
Officer Ericsson was dispatched to Chipping Lane on a noise disturbance. Upon arrival, Officer Ericsson observed a concrete truck and individuals loading concrete into a mobile buggy. Officer Ericsson contacted the supervisor and advised him of the town noise ordinance, more specifically, the days and times construction noise is prohibited. The supervisor immediately apologized stated he was not aware of the ordinance and shut down the job. Within a matter of minutes, the workers loaded up the equipment and cleared the scene. Case clear.
Nov. 5
Vehicle
8:16 a.m.
Sgt. Smith was dispatched to the Boathouse on Longboat in reference to a disturbance. The caller reported that the driver was operating his vehicle in a reckless manner, spinning tires in crushed shell and appearing to intentionally cause damage to the caller’s vehicle. Upon arrival, no visible damage was found to any vehicles. Contact was made with the building owner and association president. The building owner said that due to the driver’s actions and recent behavior, the driver is no longer welcome on the property out of concern he may cause harm to others. Contact was made with the driver who was informed he is trespassed from the property at the request of the owner. During the conversation, the driver claimed that the caller had committed an assault against him and later provided a video of the incident. The video depicts the driver running toward the caller while yelling at him. The driver stated he wished to pursue charges. He was advised to return to the location to complete a sworn written statement; however, during the call, a female voice instructed the driver to hang up and the line was disconnected. Based on the statements and evidence, the alleged assault was determined to be unfounded. The video shows the driver as the primary aggressor and his behavior toward the caller appears to stem from frustration over losing work accounts which he blamed on the caller. The building owner confirmed that the caller is authorized to be on the property and serves as the night security and fire watch employee. Case clear.
