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Wanted man found hiding on Holmes Beach roof

Wanted man found hiding on Holmes Beach roof

Written by Jason Schaffer on . Posted in Community News, Holmes Beach.

HOLMES BEACH – In the early afternoon of Sept. 24, Holmes Beach Police Officer Chris Liotti responded to a dispatch call about a possible fraudulent renter with a bad credit card at 210 72nd St.

When the officer arrived at the home, he met with Adrian Johnson, the owner of Seabreeze Vacation Rentals. Johnson said he received a rental agreement for the property and sent the renter the door code by email, but shortly after, he learned the credit card had been declined. An email and phone call to the renter went unanswered, so he called police.

However, an arrest would be made on an entirely different matter.

According to Liotti’s report, Johnson allowed him and other officers into the home so they could make contact with whoever might be inside. Officers loudly announced their presence, but no one responded. After continuing to order anyone in the home to make their presence known, a male and female came out of a bedroom and said there were more people in the house, but they weren’t sure how many.

Continuing to clear the house, Liotti went to the second floor and found a locked bedroom. A male and female eventually came out, looking as if they had been asleep, according to the report. Officer Jason Higgins escorted the couple downstairs while Liotti continued to the third floor where he found a fifth person hiding beside the bed, who was placed in handcuffs and detained while the officers continued to clear the house.

Liotti noticed the door to the upstairs patio was open, so he walked outside and saw a spiral staircase leading to a rooftop observation deck, which appeared to be empty at first glance.

“After advising the roof was clear, Sgt. Copeman advised he could see someone hiding on the lower portion of the roof,” Liotti said in his report. “I tried to walk across the roofline to try to make contact with the subject, but due to the pitch of the roof, along with the slippery texture, I made the determination it was no longer safe to proceed.”

Police determined the only way to safely reach the roof was with a tall ladder, so they called West Manatee Fire Rescue, which didn’t have a ladder truck available at the time but sent another truck to try and assist. Once firefighters arrived on the scene, the man on the roof, later identified as Eric Woods, 43, of Sarasota, came out of hiding and surrendered. Once he came off the roof, police found there was an active Sarasota warrant for Woods for theft. In addition to being arrested for the warrant, Woods was charged with obstruction and resisting arrest without violence.

No charges were filed against any of the occupants of the home, but Liotti’s report says charges could be issued pending further investigation. None of the other occupants had any warrants and were allowed to get their items and leave the home.

While being processed, Woods complained of an injured foot and was taken to Manatee Memorial Hospital. Afterward, he was taken to Manatee County Jail by a Manatee County Sheriff’s Office deputy.

Bridge Street arrest ties up police for hours

Bridge Street arrest ties up police for hours

Written by Jason Schaffer on . Posted in Beach Beat, Bradenton Beach, Community News.

BRADENTON BEACH – An encounter between police and an intoxicated couple on May 29 turned into an hours-long struggle to diffuse a situation that put both the police and the public in danger.

Bradenton Beach officers Devon Officer Straight and Roy Officer Joslin were on routine foot patrol at 2:30 a.m. on Bridge Street when they heard a verbal disturbance coming from a male and female leaving the Drift In bar, according to the police report. The officers didn’t see the couple get in their car, but they heard the vehicle rev its engine repeatedly, then reverse at a high rate of speed, fishtailing without any lights.

Officer Straight said the vehicle almost hit a sign and posed a hazard to large groups of people gathered in the area, so he and Officer Joslin used their flashlights to signal the vehicle to stop and they checked on the welfare and condition of the driver.

Later identified as Steven Clayton Davis, of Bradenton, the driver became verbally abusive with the officers and showed signs of intoxication, including slurred speech and bloodshot eyes, according to the report. Davis put his car in park, but refused to open the door and get out of the vehicle after the officers asked him to do so. Officer Joslin opened the unlocked door from the outside and ordered Davis to exit the vehicle, which Davis refused to do. The officers began to extract Davis from the vehicle to prevent any danger to the public, officers and the suspect.

Once Davis was out of the vehicle, both officers attempted to detain him in handcuffs, which he resisted with force, according to the report. Once the officers secured him in handcuffs, he was taken to a patrol vehicle. While the officers attempted to put him in the back of the patrol car, Davis refused to sit in the back seat properly and leaned forward and dropped face first onto the pavement. While the officers attempted to get Davis off the ground, he yelled and threatened the officers, refusing to cooperate. He also managed to slip his handcuffed arms under his legs so the cuffs were on the front of his body. During the struggle with officers, who had no backup at the time, a Monkey Bus driver arrived on the scene and assisted officers in gaining control of the suspect, helping them get him into the back of the vehicle.

Once Davis was placed in the back of the patrol vehicle, officers say he used his handcuffed hands, which were still on the front side of his body, to try to break the window of the patrol car. The officers then opened the door again, warning Davis that he would be pepper sprayed if he didn’t calm down, according to the report. Not heeding the warning, Davis continued to try to leave the patrol car, resulting in officers pepper-spraying him and finally gaining some control of the tense situation.

Holmes Beach officers arrived on the scene to provide backup, since Officer Straight and Officer Joslin were the only officers on duty in Bradenton Beach. After Holmes Beach officers arrived, Officer Joslin was able to deal with the suspect’s female companion, Torrie Ann Kronk, who had been screaming threats and insults at the officers throughout the ordeal. Kronk was later arrested for obstruction for her role in the incident.

Officer Straight then took Davis to the police station for decontamination, standard procedure when anyone is pepper-sprayed by police, according to officers. Officer Straight used cool water from the hose in the police department parking lot until the suspect was satisfied he was decontaminated. Officer Joslin meanwhile completed arrest paperwork on Kronk.

Davis refused to sit on the bench in the police station quietly while he was processed. He threatened to kill the officers repeatedly while being processed, according to the report, and continued to resist arrest by trying to kick over a shelf containing valuable police equipment, resulting in the officers having to cuff his feet to the bench to prevent any damage during processing. Davis was charged with obstruction and disorderly intoxication in a public place causing a disturbance.

Due to injuries Davis sustained when he fell on his face trying to escape the police vehicle during the arrest, he was taken to the hospital before being transported to Manatee County Jail.

“The whole ordeal lasted from 2:30 a.m. to close to 7:30 a.m. because they struggled and there were injuries and were taken to the hospital,” Bradenton Beach Police Lt. Lenard Diaz said. “It should be a simple misdemeanor arrest, but because of the injuries and the fact there was a male and female and you have to keep two officers with the female, it takes our officers away from the road.”

During the process of arresting the suspects, which took about five hours, there were no Bradenton Beach officers available to take calls for other emergencies. The department continues to seek funding for more staff to prevent similar situations in the future.

One suspect remains at large in Holmes Beach attack

One suspect still at large in Holmes Beach beating

Written by Jason Schaffer on . Posted in Community News, Featured, Holmes Beach.

HOLMES BEACH – Two suspects have been arrested and one remains at large in the violent beating of a 40-year-old man in Holmes Beach.

John William Bartholow, 17, of Ellenton, was taken into custody by police on March 30 and an unidentified juvenile also has been charged after warrants were issued for the aggravated battery of Even Purcell.

One suspect remains at large in Holmes Beach attack
                    Bartholow

Due to the age of the juvenile, police are not releasing information about his capture, only saying he has been charged and is currently in the custody of his parents. The search continues for 18-year-old Cameron Leron Evans, of Sarasota, who is described as a 6’0” 140-pound Black male.

“We’ve had multiple agencies checking addresses for the remaining suspect, Cameron Evans, on active warrants,” Holmes Beach Police Lieutenant Brian Hall said. “I’m sure he’s just laying low and hiding out, but he’ll get caught.”

Purcell, a Holmes Beach resident, was walking his dog with his 10-year-old niece on the evening of March 23 when he came upon some teenagers breaking bottles, drinking alcohol and vandalizing Anna Maria Elementary School property. According to police, Purcell yelled at the group to stop what they were doing, which resulted in the group of teens becoming aggressive. Although Purcell waived a pocket knife as he feared for his safety, it was not a deterrent to the teens, who knocked him to the ground and beat him severely, including an assault with a wooden object, possibly a skateboard.

According to Holmes Beach Police Chief Bill Tokajer, police arrived on the scene around 9 p.m. to find the assailants gone and Purcell unconscious on the ground. The victim was taken to HCA Florida Blake Hospital in stable condition, but suffering from multiple serious injuries. 

Although there was no video footage of the incident, the suspect vehicle was identified by the city’s license plate recognition camera as a white Kia Sportage. Tokajer also said there were cans and broken bottles left at the scene that could be used to obtain DNA and fingerprints. He also said these were not students of Anna Maria Elementary, and no one related to the school was believed to be involved in any way.

Since the incident, several security measures have been put in place at Anna Maria Elementary to deter loitering on school grounds after hours. Locking gates have been installed at all vehicle entrances and “No Beach Parking” signs have been posted to keep the lots clear during the day as well.

One suspect remains at large in Holmes Beach attack
Increased security measures at Anna Maria Elementary are in response to the March 23 attack of a Holmes Beach man on the property. – Jason Schaffer | Sun

Due to the violent acts committed and the nature of the charges, Evans is considered a danger to the community. Police are urging the public not to approach Evans if seen and to contact the Holmes Beach Police Department immediately with any information. Crime Stoppers can be reached at 866-634-TIPS or a web tip can be submitted online. Information can be submitted anonymously, and Crime Stoppers may pay a cash reward of up to $3,000.

Purcell’s family has set up a GoFundMe page to help with his medical bills. As of April 10, the effort has raised $17,015 of the $25,000 goal.

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Suspect arrested in Holmes Beach

Holmes Beach logo OLD

Burglary in Holmes Beach

Written by SUN contributor on . Posted in Community News, Holmes Beach.

HOLMES BEACH – The suspect in a Thursday afternoon burglary is still at large, according to Holmes Beach Police Chief Bill Tokajer.

Police are searching for a white male seen around 2 p.m. June 28 in the 500 block of 75th Street wearing a painter’s mask to cover the bottom portion of his face. Tokajer said his department is working with the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office violent crimes division to apprehend the man. Det. Sgt. Brian Hall is investigating for the HBPD.

At around 1:58 p.m. on Thursday, June 28 an unidentified female homeowner returned to her 75th Street home after lunching with friends. She found the suspect in her master bedroom attempting to rob the home. The robber attacked the homeowner, whom Tokajer said fought back. The man fled the premises. The homeowner was taken to an area hospital where she’s expected to be released later in the day June 29 or on June 30. Tokajer said she suffered facial bruising and fractured bones from the attack.

Anyone with information about the attack is encouraged to contact the HBPD at 941-778-COPS (2677). Property owners with home surveillance systems in the 75th Street area also are encouraged to contact the police to see if their systems could have caught a glimpse of the suspect entering or leaving the area.

With the suspect still at-large, the HBPD asks that everyone make sure to secure their properties while at home and away. Residents and visitors should make sure all doors and windows are locked, garage doors are secure and valuables are kept out of plain sight to discourage any would-be robbers from attempting to enter the home. Anyone with a home surveillance or alarm system should make sure the systems are engaged when residents are away from the premises.

If you observe any suspicious activity in your area, please contact the HBPD.