—Aug. 29
—IRS You Later: The $60k Check Journey
—12:00 a.m.
—Officer Pescuma was dispatched to the 4400 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive in reference to a theft. The caller is currently residing out of state in a secondary residence and wished to make a report via telephone. Officer Pescuma made contact with the complainant who advised he maintains a residence in Longboat Key and that a U.S. Treasury refund check was issued by the Internal Revenue Service in the amount of approximately $60,000 dated June 29 was mailed to his Longboat Key residence. The complainant advised that he resides in Illinois for part of the year and forwards his mail from his Longboat Key residence to his secondary residence in Illinois. The complainant said the refund check was intercepted prior to reaching him and was subsequently fraudulently cashed at a bank in Indiana. The complainant advised that the bank’s fraud department was notified of the incident and subsequently froze the associated funds. The complainant further stated that he is currently working with the IRS regarding the fraudulent negotiation of the check and recovery/reissuance of his refund. Based upon the information provided, the reported fraudulent activity and negotiation of the check occurred outside the jurisdiction of Longboat Key. The complainant was advised to report the incident to the law enforcement agency having jurisdiction where the offense occurred and to continue working with the IRS and involved financial institution. The report was completed for informational and documentation purposes. Case clear.
—HOA: Home Owners Aggravation
—12:33 p.m.
—Officer Van Dyke responded to Harbourside Drive in reference to a trespass. Upon further investigation, the case was updated to a civil dispute. Upon arrival, Officer Miano contacted the complainant via phone. According to the complainant, a contractor was working on a vessel but was not allowed on weekends per HOA policy. It should be noted that the subject was on private property and invited by the owner of the vessel. The complainant was educated that the incident is merely a civil issue which should be handled by the community’s HOA. Responding officers canvassed the area for the vehicle, yielding negative results. It should be noted that this is an ongoing issue with the subject, per the complainant. Case clear.
—Tesla Tantrum and the Terrible Plating
—6:28 p.m.
—Officer Troyer was dispatched to a restaurant in reference to a disturbance. Dispatch was reporting that a 40-year-old male was refusing to leave after not receiving good food service. Upon arrival, the man had already left the area in a white Tesla. Officer Troyer and officer Nazareno canvassed the area, but was unable to locate the vehicle. Officer Nazareno met with the complainant who said the man was upset because of the presentation of his dinner. the man started complaining to his server about the food but the server did not know how to respond. The complainant said he stepped in because he used to be an assistant manager and could assist. The complainant said he asked the man to not use foul language towards staff as the man was cussing at them. The complainant then grabbed the food and drink from the table and told the man he needed to leave and refused to serve him anymore. The man told the complainant he wasn’t leaving so he contacted the police for assistance. The complainant said the manager witnessed the man leave in a white Tesla, but they did not have the license plate information. The complainant also did not know the man nor did he ever serve him before and there was no pedigree information on the check. The complainant said they were going to comp the meal anyway just to settle the problem. Officer Troyer advised the complainant of the trespass information in case the man returns and they do not want his patronage. Case clear.
—Aug. 30
—Ghost Ships Seeking Seafood
—11:18 a.m.
—Officer Van Dyke responded to Broadway in reference to a suspicious vessel. Upon arrival, Officer Van Dyke spoke with the complainant and she advised that two vessels were inching close tot he restaurant’s docks in the back of the property and possibly derelict. Upon arrival, Officer Van Dyke observed two sailboats and saw they appeared to be derelict due to minor exterior damage and no indication of occupancy. The vessels appeared to be anchored properly, no anchor dragging was observed. Per internal database, the vessels are registered to different people and they were contacted via phone. Case clear.
—Lights Out, License Expired
—9:33 p.m.
—Officer Troyer while on patrol in the 400 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive observed a black Honda Accord traveling northbound with a defective headlight. Officer Troyer did not observe any light being emitted from the driver side headlight bulb. Officer Troyer conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle in the area of Schooner Lane. Officer Troyer explained to the driver the reason for the traffic stop. The driver handed his Louisiana driver’s license, and said he knew his license was expired due to paperwork. Officer Troyer observed the expiration date on his license as Aug. 27, 2024. Based on his investigation, Officer Troyer found probable cause to issue the man a criminal citation in violation of Driving with Expired License more than Six Months. The driver parked the vehicle and contacted a friend to assist him with removing it later. Case clear.
—Aug. 31
—FLOCKed Around and Found Out
—8:00 p.m.
—Officer Castro Agis while on patrol in the 400 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive, received a flock camera alert regarding a vehicle whose registered owner had a suspended driver’s license. Officer Castro Agis initiated a traffic stop on the vehicle, and approached the driver and explained the reason for the stop. The driver who was the vehicle owner, provided her Florida Driver’s License and stated she was unaware her license was suspended. The woman’s driver’s license was suspended on Jan. 5, 2026 in reference to a financial responsibility case. The woman also had a seized tag order. Additionally, records indicated she had no insurance information on file. The driver was issued a citation for operating a vehicle with a suspended license and failure to provide proof of insurance. Officer Castro Agis seized her license and plate and placed them into property. The driver’s vehicle was left in the parking lot and will retrieve it after resolving the issue with the DMV. Case clear.
—Sept. 1
—Call Me Maybe… From China
—11:33 a.m.
—Officer Tillman responded to the police department lobby regarding a suspicious incident. The complainant stated he received a long text message from a China phone number stating that his cellular phone was sold on the black market and is now in China. The complainant stated that he did lose his cellular phone while at the hospital in May, and had it replaced. The complainant stated that he was going to report the incident to Verizon in case this is an issue with the cell provider. No secure information was stored on the phone and no money was lost. The complainant wanted a report in case future activity was to arise. Case clear.
—Sept. 3
—The Case of the Phantom Painters
—5:58 a.m.
—Officr Pescuma responded to the 2900 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive regarding an audible residential burglary alarm. Upon arrival, officers heard the alarm sounding and found the door leading from the garage into the residence unsecured. A second-floor door leading into the residence was also unsecured. Officers conducted a search of the residence and found no persons inside, signs of forced entry, or evidence of criminal activity. A review of the residence’s security cameras also yielded negative results. The homeowner was contacted and advised that no one was authorized to be at the residence because the homeowners were out of state. The complainant stated that painters had been working inside the residence the previous day and likely left the doors unlocked. He advised that he would contact someone to respond and secure the residence.
—Door vs. Machine: Access Denied
—9:30 a.m.
—Officer Van Dyke responded to Bay Isles Parkway in reference to property damage. Upon arrival, Officr Van Dyke spoke with the front gate security manager. He advised that a white male driving a white pickup truck unintentionally damaged the card reader as he was traveling through the community the previous day at 4:49 p.m. The vehicle plate was unable to be deciphered. The scanned card determined who the card belongs to. The complainant plans to follow up with the marina to gather contact information for the slip owners. The actions of the driver didn’t appear intentional based on the video footage provided. The driver appears to backup after missing his initial opportunity to pass through the open gate. Upon attempting to reach out of the vehicle and re-scan the card reader, the vehicle door struck the card reader. The security manager requested a case number for documentation purposes. Case clear.
—Big Brother is Watching You Fish
—10:42 a.m.
—Officer Van Dyke responded to Hibiscus Way in reference to a suspicious incident. Upon arrival, Officer Van Dyke spoke to the property manager who said that the homeowner has been watching his property’s camera footage from out of state. According to the homeowner, he saw several teenagers fishing on his property, specifically his dock, several times over an unknown timeframe. Officer Van Dyke educated the man on the trespass laws for future incidents. Case clear.
—Peace Out, Pew Pews
—11:13 a.m.
—Officer Van Dyke responded to the 4600 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive in reference to property. Upon arrival, Officer Van Dyke met with the complainant who advised that since both her parents had passed away, she inherited the residence and everything within it, and wanted to surrender their firearms. One was a shotgun and the other was a rifle. The firearms were safely cleared, packaged and submitted into property for safekeeping. Case clear.
