The following information was gathered from incident and arrest reports obtained from the Plant City Police Department.
FEB. 27
THE OL’ SWITCHEROO
610 block of North Maryland Avenue. Grand Theft by Employee. Between the early part of January and the week of Feb. 24, the store management had investigated the employee. It was determined she switched prices or did not ring up merchandise correctly. Post-Miranda, the employee confessed to the thefts totaling almost $500. The store did not want to prosecute and signed a waiver. The employee resigned from and was escorted off the property.
DOUBLE TROUBLE
620 block of Coronet Street. Narcotics Arrest. The officer conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle for running a stop sign. During contact, he smelled burnt marijuana smoke. Both suspects, twin siblings, had marijuana on their person. A total of four grams was found on both suspects. They were arrested and released with a court date.
WHAT A GUY
1320 block of East Alsobrook Street. Warrant Arrest. The officer responded in reference to a 911 hangup call. Upon his arrival, he met with the caller and learned she was in a verbal dispute with her boyfriend. Once the officer determined that no physical violence took place, an FCIC/NCIC check revealed the boyfriend had an outstanding warrant for a lewd and lascivious battery, issued by the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. The suspect was arrested.
MARCH 1
FLESH WOUND
100 block of North Palmer Street. Aggravated Battery with Permanent Injury. A verbal altercation led to the suspect displaying a concealed firearm, for which he could not produce a license, in a threatening manner to a subject inside of a downtown bar during Bike Fest. The victim reacted to the threat by removing a Tazer and using it several times against the suspect. The suspect began to strike the victim in the face with his first and ultimately bit off a large portion of the victim’s nose. It was at this time that a second suspect grabbed the victim from the rear, while the suspect began to leave the scene. Officers detained all parties, and independent testimony led to the arrest of the two suspects. Unfortunately, a search of the area did not locate the nose chunk.
MARCH 2
CIGS STOLEN
1900 block of Bargo Street. Petit Theft. The victim reported that someone stole his E-cigarettes, valued at $100.
SNACK ATTACK
2600 block of James L. Redman Parkway. Shoplifting/Petit Theft. The suspect selected and concealed $16.10, worth of food products and exited the business without rendering payment.
MARCH 3
TRUCK TROUBLE
1800 block of East Linda Street. Criminal Mischief. Overnight, unknown person(s) took an unknown item and smashed the windshield and front passenger-side window of a white Ford F-150.
FUNNY MONEY
2510 block of James L. Redman Parkway. Counterfeit Bill. The officer responded to the business in reference to a fake $100 bill. The victim said the suspect tried to buy cigarettes and presented the fake bill as payment. The suspect stated he just received it as payment for lawn work. The victim identified it as fake and after having done so, she advised the suspect. He left the store in an unknown direction, and the store was not out any property. There was no video available.
NAP TIME
1700 block of James L. Redman Parkway. Warrant Arrest. An officer responded to the business in reference to a black male sleeping behind the soda machine. Upon his arrival, he met the suspect. After conducting a warrants check, he found the suspect had two separate warrants for no valid driver’s license. The suspect was arrested and transported to Orient Road Jail without incident. He was trespassed from the business, as well.
CLOSE CALL
Intersection of Interstate 4 and Wheeler Street. Standby for Florida Highway Patrol. The department received a call in reference to a single-vehicle crash with rollover. A Kia van was westbound and lost control left the roadway, struck the guardrail, landed in the center grass median, flipped and struck the guardrail on the eastbound side and came to rest on its side. Upon arrival, the driver was somewhat incoherent but advised his 4-year-old child was in the vehicle. A search ensued of the center median, overpass area and several hundred feet back, because of a possible ejection. Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office dispatched an air unit and a bloodhound K9. Calls were made to two emergency contact numbers but were disconnected. A search of the vehicle yielded the driver’s iPhone. Officers called the mother, who confirmed the child was safe with the grandparents and not in the vehicle at the time of crash.
MARCH 4
QUICK CASH
1700 block of James L. Redman Parkway. Business Robbery. Four unknown persons, possibly Caucasian or of Indian decent, came into the restaurant and distracted the manager as he held a money bag that contained about $2,000 to $3,000. The suspects grabbed the bag and fled the parking lot in a dark red, rounded-hood-style SUV. Several officers checked the area, but the suspect SUV was not found.
BIKE BANDIT STRIKES AGAIN
2910 block of Sutton Oaks Court. Bike Theft. In the past week, unknown person(s) stole three bikes from this home. Two of the bikes were youth models, and one was for an adult. One of the youth bikes is purple, one is pink, and the adult bike is dark blue.
BOLD MOVES
2600 block of James L. Redman Parkway. Retail Theft. A loss-prevention official watched the suspect take a pair of shoes from the shoe department and a bicycle trailer from the bike department. The items were valued at $202.84. The suspect walked past all points of sale and went to the Customer Service desk, where she conducted a fraudulent return for the shoes. After doing so, she attempted to leave with the trailer. At that point, she was detained and later placed under arrest.
DRINKING PROBLEM
800 block of West Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. Beverage Violation. The officer was driving by the convenience store and observed the suspect holding a beer can outside of the store. The officer impounded the beer and placed the suspect under arrest for a beverage violation.
EXTREME MAKEOVER
1500 block of James L. Redman Parkway. Grand Theft. The officer responded to the residence and met with the victim, who advised she had about $3,000 in clothing and shoes stolen from her residence.
MONEY PROBLEM
2900 block of Sutton Oaks Court. Fraud/Grand Theft. The officer responded and met with the victims, who advised they were scammed out of $8,130.
TOOLS TAKEN
220 block of West Alexander Street. Vehicle Burglary. The victim stated a a Kobalt brand toolbag with Kobalt tools were stolen from the rear toolbox of a black Dodge Ram pickup while he was in the movie theater. There were no signs of forced entry to the toolbox or the vehicle.
WHAT’S MINE IS NOT YOURS
2300 block of Gateway Street. Residential Burglary. The victim said his neighbor saw another neighbor steal a weed eater and tree trimmer. When the neighbor observed this, she told the suspect he better put the items back, which he did. She left the victim a note. When he got home and read it, he called the police. Although the victim received his lawn equipment back, he still is missing a men’s Schwinn 10-speed bike, valued at $100.
MARCH 5
JUVENILE BEHAVIOR
1200 block of West Grand Street. Battery on a School Official. Officers responded to this school, after a student got upset and punched a teacher. The suspect was arrested.
HOT WHEELS
700 block of North Mobley Street. Stolen Motorcycle. Overnight, unknown suspect(s) stole a black 2005 Suzuki motorcycle. The motorcycle had a windshield and black leather side bags. The victim was a vendor at the Florida Strawberry Festival. The motorcycle was later found lying in the road at Mobley Street and Strawberry Drive. The motorcycle appeared to have been involved in a crash.
CAUGHT ON CAMERA
310 block of West Ball Street. Business Burglary. Overnight, an unknown person jumped the fence surrounding the property and was captured on security camera. The suspect then jumped back over the fence with a box possibly containing unknown items. At this time it is unknown was was taken.
FIRE STARTER
1720 block of James L. Redman Parkway. Arson. The officer responded to the convenience store, in reference to a fire inside the men’s restroom. Plant City Fire Rescue responded and extinguished the fire. The surveillance video showed a juvenile, about 9 to 10 years old, grab a lighter from the checkout counter. The boy then walked into the bathroom and exited in a hurry a brief time later. The video shows the male holding what appears to be a lighter in his hand as he walked away. The state fire marshal was notified and responded. The total damage was about $100.