Lakeland saw a mixed bag of 23 criminal incidents handled by the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office (SCSO) during August, including multiple counts of simple assault, property crimes, identity theft and counterfeiting, to name just a few.
Editor’s note: All suspects are presumed to be innocent until proven guilty in a court of law, and values are estimated for stolen/damaged items. These are brief summaries of detailed SCSO reports.
Aug. 3
Ravenwood Oak Drive (simple assault/ domestic violence)
A woman reported on Aug. 3 that her husband slapped her face and pushed her down yesterday morning at his home on the 4400 block of Ravenwood Oak Drive.
The responding officer did not observe any marks on the victim, who said she took photos yesterday when the marks were visible.
She said the couple has had violent encounters in the past but without law enforcement involvement. She added that he has recently started taking a steroid that seems to have altered his mood.
Canada Road (theft from motor vehicle)
A man emerged from ATC Fitness (2991 Canada Road) around 8:15 p.m. Aug. 3 and realized that someone had robbed his 2004 Ford F150.
He parked on the east side of the building next to Canada Road around 7 p.m., locked his truck and was in the gym for about an hour and 15 minutes. Meanwhile, someone stripped the radio out of his dashboard ($500), took his wallet ($50) and $30 in cash from the overhead console, and moved his two iPhones and a water bottle but left them in the truck.
The responding officer noted that there were no video surveillance cameras pointed to that side of the building and that the driver’s side door keyhole had been punched ($100), possibly with a screwdriver.
Aug. 7
U.S. 64 (counterfeiting/forgery)
The Sonic Drive-in manager reported on Aug. 7 that a lunch customer tried to use a counterfeit $100 to pay for food that day. The manager said the bill was clearly a counterfeit, with “For Motion Picture Use Only” printed on both sides.
The customer, a black male driving an ABC Carpet Cleaning work van, said he got it in change the previous night at a strip club. At Sonic (9696 U.S. 64), he paid for his bill with real cash and then left the scene.
The manager gave officers the van’s tag number and the suspected counterfeit bill.
Aug. 8
Webber Drive (simple assault/domestic violence)
A woman reported her live-in boyfriend for spitting in her face and slapping the phone out of her hand the morning of Aug. 8.
She said they argued about her not preparing a meal for him, and the fight escalated. She went to a neighbor’s home on the 3200 block of Webber Drive to call officers. While on the line with the 911 operator, the victim had a seizure that she later said was brought on by the stress of the incident. She said her left hand was sore where the boyfriend struck her, although the responding officer did not observe bruising.
An American Medical Response (AMR) ambulance arrived, but she refused treatment.
The boyfriend left the scene in a white Ford Econoline van before officers arrived. The couple have been together for the past three years, she said.
Aug. 9
Creekwood Cove (intimidation/domestic violence)
A mother reported that her daughter threatened to kill the mother and herself during an argument on Aug. 9.
The mother said she has told her daughter not to bring friends over, but she brought one home anyway around 10:50 p.m. The daughter erupted during their argument, made the threat and then left on foot in an unknown direction.
The mother said there was no physical contact during the argument. Officers checked the area but did not find the daughter.
Aug. 10
Twisting Pine Lane (simple assault)
A male resident on the 10300 block of Twisting Pine Lane reported that a female acquaintance argued with him at his home and punched him in the face on Aug. 10. She left before officers arrived. The officers saw no injuries on the victim, who refused medical treatment.
Aug. 11
Long Bridge Cove (non-residential burglary)
A man reported on Aug. 11 that someone had stolen almost $360 worth of lawn equipment from his garage on the 3000 block of Long Bridge Cove. The missing items were a Troy-Bilt weed trimmer ($199), trimmer/ edger ($70) and Poulan Pro blower ($90). The last time he saw all three was around 2 p.m. July 31.
The serial numbers for all three items were entered into the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) database.
Aug. 12
Maple Walk Drive (false pretenses/swindle/confidence game)
Owners of Tuscany Homes (contractors) reported on Aug. 12 that a builder had conned them out of profits from a home sale.
They said the builder approached them about partnering on a home build and splitting the expenses and profit. They agreed, the completed home sold in September 2013, and each party received $33,000.
The builder pitched a similar project to them in August that year, and that spec house was up for sale in April 2014. At that time, the market was soft and offers were low. Two months later, the builder asked them to let him move into the home and pay monthly interest until he completed building his own new home or the house sold. To save money, the builder wanted to pay off the loan to the lender, and the Tuscany Homes owners agreed.
The couple tried to contact the builder from May through August 2015 to check on the home’s status and when the man would move out so the spec home could be marketed.
They said that they eventually contacted their personal closing attorney and learned that the builder had sold the home without their consent and had stolen their share of the partnership profits, more than $46,500.
Aug. 13
Old Brunswick Road (non-residential burglary)
A man on the 5800 block of Old Bruns-wick Road reported a barn break-in and the theft of about $12,000 of farm equipment and household appliances.
Someone dismantled a gate to enter the barn sometime between 8 p.m. Aug. 11 and 3 p.m. Aug. 12, he told officers on Aug. 13.
The thief made off with a 12- or 14-foot tandem axle trailer with a winch (loaded with an auger, auger bits and an a/c unit) from the barn, as well as a washer/dryer combo and a refrigerator from the nearby yard.
The owner also temporarily lost his $50,000 tractor, but he recovered it on Aug. 13 on nearby Stewart Road. It appeared that the thief ditched the tractor when it ran out of gas.
There were no serial numbers available at the time of the report, and the property was uninsured. A crime scene technician lifted a partial print from the tractor.
Another citizen flagged down the responding officer and said that she, her husband and their daughter saw someone driving the tractor on Stewart Road on Aug. 12. It was followed by two white males, ages 18-22, in an older tan or silver SUV (possibly a Tahoe/Suburban, with no tag).
Pine Point Drive (identity theft)
When she received a collection letter, a resident on the 9700 block of Pine Point Drive found out that someone had opened a Target credit card with her personal information.
The victim did not own a Target card and said she hasn’t given anyone permission to open one in her name. The Target fraud department told her someone opened the account on May 9 and closed it on May 13 with a single purchase of $89.68. The amount demanded in the letter was $153.82 with late fees included. The Target representative could not tell her where the purchase was made or what was bought.
The victim filed the sheriff’s report in order for the Target fraud department to remove her from their collections list. The victim did not have any suspect information.
Aug. 14
Valkrie Lane (simple assault/domestic violence)
A woman reported on Aug. 14 that her husband assaulted her around 10 p.m. the previous night. They were in the bedroom and he was already asleep. He has sleep apnea, and she said it sounded like he was having trouble breathing. She leaned over to check on him and try to wake him up. He woke and pushed her in the chest four or five times.
The responding deputies couldn’t see any signs of physical injury from the pushes. The woman was visibly upset and crying as she explained the incident to deputies.
Aug. 15
Plantation Wood Drive (memo)
Someone ransacked the interior of a man’s Ford between 9:30 p.m. Aug. 13 and 8 a.m. Aug. 14. The vehicle had been left unlocked in the driveway of his home on the 10500 block of Plantation Wood Drive.
Nothing was stolen, but someone spread the contents of the glove compartment on the floorboard. The owner cleaned up and drove the vehicle for 24 hours before his wife convinced him to file a report. There was no damage to the vehicle and nothing stolen.
The responding officer noted that there was no workable crime scene. The victim was advised to always lock his vehicle and to call law enforcement immediately when there is a crime.
U.S. 64 (embezzlement)
One employee reported to her boss on Aug. 10 that a colleague had taken $450 in cash from a business safe and replaced it with a personal check without permission.
The boss looked at deposit slips for Aug. 3 and found evidence of the incident. The suspect had access to the safe where the money was placed and was in charge of making the bank deposit. The unspecified business is located at 8950 U.S. 64.
Aug. 17
U.S. 64 (robbery of an individual)
A man reported being attacked and robbed at Annie’s Nail Salon (9160 U.S. 64, Suite 8) on Aug. 17.
The assault happened between 6:45 p.m. and 8:20 p.m. He was visiting his former girlfriend at the salon when he got a call from his cousin, asking where he was. The victim gave the address, and a few minutes later the cousin asked him to come outside.
Two other cousins and an uncle confronted him outside, accusing him of stealing a firearm from their home the previous day. He said the uncle struck him with a metal pole and choked him with his bare hands, and the others also assaulted him. They forcibly stretched him out across the back seat of a silver Volkswagen sedan.
The uncle held him down while one cousin pointed a gun at him and the other cousin took $200 in cash, an Apple iPhone 5s, and a pair of Nike Air Jordans off his feet, he said. He escaped without further incident, and the suspects fled in an unknown direction. The cousin who made the call did not assault him, he said.
The victim went home, called the SCSO and told them what happened and where the relatives might be. When the responding officer arrived, the victim said another assault had occurred, and his lip was lacerated. He could not provide a serial number the stolen phone or tag information for the suspects’ car.
Aug. 20
Pleasant Ridge Road (other theft/non-specific)
Someone stole around $22,000 of equipment from an open covered structure (two walls and a roof) on the 9900 block of Pleasant Ridge, the owner reported on Aug. 20.
He said a suspect apparently backed up a vehicle to the structure from his driveway, hooked up his utility trailer and left with his property. The theft happened between 9 p.m. Aug. 19 and around 9 a.m. Aug. 20.
The trailer is a black 14-foot metal utility trailer with a full-width ramp at the rear, a chrome toolbox on the front, an attached water cooler rack, a blower rack on one side and a weed trimmer rack on the other ($2,500).
Other items taken included a Toro zero-turn riding lawn mower ($7,000), a Bunton 48-inch walk-behind lawn mower ($5,000), two Stihl weed trimmers ($800), a Husqvarna weed trimmer ($1,400), a Honda pressure washer ($2,200), two RedMax backpack blowers ($1,000), a handheld Home Depot blower ($200), an Echo tiller ($400), a Husqvarna arborist/chainsaw ($1,400) and several miscellaneous items (including gas cans, extra wheels, weed trimmer spools, etc.).
The suspect removed the water cooler from the trailer and left it at the scene. The victim and the responding officer also saw footprints, possibly from Air Jordan athletic shoes.
The victim also reported thefts from an enclosed storage garage during the same period. The garage was locked, but there is a spot on the northeast corner where the wall has detached, allowing entry. The property stolen from this structure includes four Shindaiwa blowers ($1,800 total) and an Echo gas trimmer ($350).
No fingerprints were lifted at either scene, and there are no known witnesses or security videos.
Aug. 21
Champions Drive (intimidation/domestic violence)
A woman reported on Aug. 21 that a former boyfriend has been calling and threatening her.
She said they began dating in June, and she recently broke up with him. He has been calling and texting her, threatening to send information to her job that will get her fired unless she has sex with him how and when he wants it.
The woman and her daughter are staying with another woman in an apartment on the 3000 block of Champions Drive. The victim said he has been texting threats to her daughter and the other woman as well. All three said they are afraid and want to get restraining orders against him.
Aug. 22
U.S. 64 (embezzlement)
The store manager at Dunkin Donuts (8964 U.S. 64) reported an employee’s embezzlement on Aug. 22. She said the suspect took $274 in cash from a register near the end of her shift on Aug. 20, and she has video surveillance that documents the theft.
The employee was on scene when an officer arrived, and she admitted to the offense. She received a misdemeanor citation for theft under $500.
Clubview Cove South (misdemeanor vandalism)
A homeowner on the 3100 block of Clubview Cove South reported that someone apparently walked around his house and displaced or damaged several items.
There was a broken yard light in the front yard, some edging that had been stepped on, and another light and section of edging that were stepped on but not permanently damaged.
The complainant said the damage happened between 4 p.m. Aug. 21 and noon Aug. 22. He also said there were displaced items at another house across the street.
There were no known suspects, witnesses or security cameras.
U.S. 64 (business burglary)
On Aug. 22, two employees at Dunkin Donuts (8984 U.S. 64) reported seeing a suspicious person outside who ended up being an opportunistic burglary.
The employees walked out of the north rear door to take out garbage around 9 p.m. and saw a male walk from the car wash, stand near the trash dumpster behind Backyard Burgers, and then enter the unlocked north rear door. He emerged with a white trash bag and fled in an unknown direction on foot.
The business manager pulled up surveillance video that showed the crime in progress. The man had shoulder-length dreadlocks, wearing an open white button-down shirt, black pants, white shoes, white gloves and black hat. He took a trash bag containing three cash drawers with an estimated $600 in small bills and coins. Officers found a spilled roll of dimes in one bay of the car wash.
Aug. 24
Champions Drive (misdemeanor vandalism)
A car owner reported that someone cracked her windshield ($250) between 7 p.m. Aug. 23 and 11:15 a.m. Aug. 24. The responding officer saw a quarter-size indention on the top driver’s-side corner of the windshield and a crack extending down from it.
The woman, who lives on the 3000 block of Champions Drive, had no suspects, and there were no known witnesses or security cameras on scene.
Aug. 26
Hampton Drive (simple assault)
A female reported that a classmate’s sister assaulted her on Aug. 26 and threatened to shoot her.
The victim and the classmate physically fought on Aug. 24 because the victim called the classmate fat and gay. Then the classmate and her sister (the suspect) came to the victim’s house around 3:25 p.m. two days later.
The victim described the assault: The suspect punched the victim in the face, grabbed her and pushed her around the driveway. The victim’s grandmother came out and separated them.
The victim said the suspect threatened to get a gun and return. Both the classmate and her sister then left the scene.
The responding officer saw a small cut on the victim’s left upper lip and a small cut on the bottom of her right foot.
The grandmother and a juvenile witness gave a similar account, but the grandmother didn’t hear any mention of a weapon.
The officer spotted the suspect driving through the area and detained her. The suspect said she was fighting for her sister, who said the victim and friends have been bullying her at school. The suspect said the victim initiated the earlier fight between her sister and the victim.
The suspect also said they came to the house speak with the victim’s mother, but instead the victim spat in the suspect’s face. That’s when the suspect hit the victim and a scuffle began. She admitted starting the physical contact but said she never threatened to get a weapon.
The officer charged the suspect with a juvenile summons for simple assault, and she was released to her father on scene.
Aug. 27
Daly Drive (simple assault/domestic violence)
A brother and sister who had both been drinking had to explain their fight to an officer after the brother called 911 on Aug. 27.
He said his drunken sister started tearing up the house (9500 block of Daly Drive), pushed him around and grabbed his shirt, scratching him on the lower part of his face and biting his arm. The officer saw a slight mark on the brother’s arm but did not see signs of anyone tearing up the residence.
The sister said her brother had been drinking when he unplugged a TV and moved some furniture, trying to move some of her belongings out of the house. She said he then manhandled her, grabbing her by the arms and pushing her into the bedroom wall. When he grabbed her, she bit him so he would let her go, she said. The responding officer saw marks on her arm that indicated she had been grabbed.
Officers couldn’t determine who was the primary aggressor as both parties had been drinking and their stories conflicted. The brother said he would leave the house and stay with a friend.
