The Sarasota County Sheriff's Office hopes the release of surveillance video in last Friday’s robbery at Wells Fargo Bank will encourage additional tips from citizens.
On May 11, 2012, a man entered the branch at 8595 S. Tamiami Trail around 4:00 p.m., and handed the teller a note that demanded cash and implied he had a weapon. The suspect left the bank after the teller complied. He is described as a white male in his thirties, approximately 5’9” tall with a medium build and light facial hair around his mouth. He wore a grey shirt, light colored pants, white sneakers and a dark hat.
Anyone with information is encouraged to call Criminal Investigations at 941-861-4952 or leave an anonymous tip with Crime Stoppers by calling 941-366-TIPS (8477), or online at www.sarasotacrimestoppers.com or by texting TIP109 plus a message to CRIMES (274637).
The Sarasota County Sheriff's Office will host the 27th Annual Law Enforcement Memorial Service on Wednesday, May 16, 2012.
The Service will be held at 6:00 p.m., at Faith Lutheran Church, 7750 Beneva Rd., Sarasota. Sheriff Tom Knight encourages the public to attend.
In addition to the Sheriff’s Office, participating agencies include the Sarasota Police Department, Venice Police Department, North Port Police Department, Longboat Key Police Department, Florida Highway Patrol, Sarasota County Board of County Commissioners, the State Attorney’s Office and the Sarasota County Fire Department.
The service recognizes the men and women who serve and protect this community, and honors the following Florida law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty in 2011:
Ofc. Rogerio Morales, Davie Police Department; Det. Amanda Haworth, Miami-Dade Police Department; Det. Roger Castillo, Miami-Dade Police Department; Sgt. Thomas Baitinger, St. Petersburg Police Department, Ofc. Jeffrey Yaslowitz, St. Petersburg Police Department; Col. Gregory Malloy, Florida Department of Corrections; Capt. John McDonough, II, Volusia County Beach Patrol; Sgt. Adam Rosenthal, Delray Beach Police Department; Ofc. David Crawford, St. Petersburg Police Department; Dep. John Mecklenburg, Hernando County Sheriff’s Office; Ofc. Arnulfo Crispin, Lakeland Police Department and Dep. Matthew Miller, Seminole County Sheriff’s Office.
The Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office has arrested 31 people in a sting called Operation Intercept that was designed to protect Sarasota County’s children from online predators.
The suspects responded to Internet-based ads and engaged in sexually explicit written and verbal conversations, ultimately agreeing to come to a location in Sarasota County with the intent to have sex with a child or children. When the suspects arrived they were met by detectives and placed under arrest.
“Predators establish contact with kids through chat rooms, instant messaging and discussion boards,” said Sheriff Tom Knight. “The anonymity of the Internet allows these criminals to seem like caring individuals, but they’re only looking for vulnerable victims. Parents, you have to be your child’s protector and monitor what they are doing online.”
The Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office conducted this manpower-intensive operation with the assistance of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, the Sarasota Police Department, Venice Police Department, North Port Police Department, Bradenton Police Department, the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office, the State Attorney’s Office and other members of the Central Florida Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task force.
The following businesses generously assisted the operation by providing equipment and services: Matthews Currie Ford, Aaron’s Furniture, Quality TV, Total Air Solutions, Sleep Safe Alarms, Donato’s and Mi Pueblo.
To see a list of those arrested and their charges, click "Open PDF" at the bottom of the page.
Sarasota County Sheriff Tom Knight today “recycled” a vehicle seized from a prolific offender who was arrested last year during the agency’s crackdown on metal thefts.
A purple Dodge Durango used to transport stolen goods was seized from Robert Cain, one of the worst offenders caught during the two Operation Meltdown efforts. The vehicle was crushed Friday at Glueck’s in Osprey, and proceeds from the scrapped SUV are being given to The Salvation Army for the Addiction Recovery Program it runs in the Sarasota County Jail.
Since August 2011, the Sheriff’s Office has employed a variety of tactics to protect the community from motivated metal thieves who have stolen everything from air conditioners to catalytic converters and even soccer goal posts. The metals are then scrapped for quick cash that often funds a prescription pill habit.
Thanks to the help of Sarasota County commissioners and strong new ordinances that make it harder for thieves to sell recyclable metals, the assistance of local contractors and metal-related businesses, as well as area law enforcement agencies, the community is seeing an impact.
In the first quarter of 2012, the value of metal theft overall was down 59 percent and copper theft specifically was down 87 percent compared to the same period last year. Citizens can continue to help reduce metal thefts by reporting suspicious activity around empty homes and businesses after-hours.
