BRADENTON BEACH – Parking issues that caused police to write hundreds of tickets on Mother’s Day spilled over into Memorial Day weekend, police say.
Coquina Beach was chaos on the Sunday before Memorial Day, as well as the actual Monday holiday, with people choosing to form a new, illegal lane of parking that resulted in plenty of tickets being issued by Bradenton Beach police.
Dozens of drivers also parked illegally along the grassy area on the east side of Gulf Drive, resulting in numerous $75 dollar tickets.
“It’s been really busy, and people are parking wherever they want,” said Bradenton Beach Police Lt. Lenard Diaz, who was getting out of his vehicle with a large stack of tickets from illegal beach parking when The Sun spoke to him the day before Memorial Day.
The issue in both Bradenton Beach and Holmes Beach appears to be that many visitors would rather pay the $75 fine than try to find a legal parking space.
“I don’t care, it’s not much different than going to a theme park and paying a fortune for parking. As long as they’re not towing, we value our very limited family time more than the price of a ticket,” said Lindsay Harris, who was visiting Cortez Beach with her family from Lakeland. Holiday weekends are a favorite for Florida residents who are within driving distance from the beach.
“There were 122,045 cars between Friday, May 27 and Monday, May 30 that passed our license plate recognition devices in Holmes Beach,” said Holmes Beach Police Chief Bill Tokajer. “I don’t have the exact number of tickets our department gave out, but I can tell you that one of my sergeants gave out 60 tickets himself on Memorial Day. I can tell you that I personally gave out 22 tickets on Memorial Day Monday.”
Tokajer echoes the Bradenton Beach police, saying the biggest issue was people parking wherever they want to. The chief also noted that people said that as long as the department wasn’t towing, they had little problem paying the ticket and leaving their vehicles parked.
July Fourth is less than a month away, and police expect more of the same when the holiday arrives. Police will continue to ticket, so anyone planning a day trip by car is advised to arrive as early as possible to obtain a legal parking spot and leave fireworks at home, as they are not permitted on the Island.
No additional parking will be available in Bradenton Beach, but parking will be allowed at Anna Maria Elementary School for the holiday weekend.
BRADENTON BEACH – Four agencies responded to a suicide attempt by an armed man on May 24 on the erosion control groins at Cortez Beach known as Twin Piers.
Responding to a 911 call at 12:26 p.m. about an attempted suicide in progress, Officer John Tsakiri and Lt. Lenard Diaz of the Bradenton Beach Police Department found a man sitting on the end of the pier with Manatee County Marine Rescue and EMS workers, according to their police report.
The man reportedly had asked a number of people to leave, including a grandmother and her young grandchild.
“I saw the way he was sitting with his right arm and hand between his legs, and I felt strongly he had a gun in that hand,” Tsakiri said. “I took out my binoculars to get a better look, but due to the way he was sitting, I still couldn’t see the gun. Lt. Diaz and I were walking towards the subject with our weapons drawn when we got a call on the radio from the MSO (Manatee County Sheriff’s Office) Marine Boat confirming he was holding a gun.”
After receiving confirmation that the subject was armed, both officers jumped off the cement pier to take cover behind it. Diaz continued to call to the armed man to put down the gun so they could talk, but the man continued to point it at his chest and head, screaming loudly at times and refusing the officer’s request.
“The last thing we wanted was for anyone to get hurt, but after continuing to ignore our commands, and at one point starting to stand up, I told Lt. Diaz that if he pointed the gun at us, I would have no choice but to engage him with my firearm,” Tsakiri said.
After sitting back down facing the water on the end of the pier, the armed man leaned forward and fell into the water as a gunshot was heard.
“I ran up to the water expecting to see blood in the water, but there was nothing. I didn’t see any wounds or blood. He missed,” Tsakiri said.
A Marine Rescue worker jumped in the water and recovered the man, who, after being brought to shore, was determined to be unharmed. He was transported to HCA Florida Blake Hospital in a Baker Act action taken by police.
The gun was recovered by Marine Rescue Capt. Joe Westerman, who found it in the water near the scene of the incident. The 9 mm automatic handgun had eight live rounds remaining when it was recovered.
Tsakiri spoke to the man at Blake, who said he never wanted to harm anyone other than himself. He said he had been let go from his job in Sarasota earlier in the day and had not contacted his parents or girlfriend to inform them of his intentions to harm himself, according to the police report. No charges were filed.
BRADENTON BEACH – A new parking trend at Cortez Beach is not only making it difficult for legally parked vehicles to maneuver, but is leaving Bradenton Beach police no choice but to write tickets until their hands cramp.
On Mother’s Day, May 8, drivers parked their vehicles along Cortez Beach on Gulf Drive from north to south behind cars that were legally parked in east-west spaces. Bradenton Beach police say they aren’t sure why this is happening now, after the height of tourist season in March, but on May 14, what they hoped was an isolated problem due to a busy Sunday repeated itself, resulting in plenty of tickets.
“We wrote over 100 tickets on Mother’s Day, and wrote at least 60 today,” said Officer Charles Marose of the Bradenton Beach Police Department, speaking of the May 14 repeat of the Mother’s Day parking pattern. Both Marose and Lt. Lenard Diaz said it probably started with a couple of people, then when others saw the new lane of cars, they just followed the pattern, resulting in a snowball effect.
The penalty for illegal or double parking along the beach parking lots, as well as parking in grassy areas along Gulf Drive at Coquina Beach, is $75.
“I really don’t care; there are no spots available and they’re not towing, so we’ll just pay the ticket,” said Tom, who requested his last name not be used. Tom and his wife were on the Island for a three-day weekend May 14-16, visiting from Orlando.
Diaz also said the department had to tow several cars on Mother’s Day that were parked in the trolley turn-around area at Coquina Beach, an area that has clearly posted signs stating that cars aren’t even allowed to turn around there, much less park.
There are several options for beachgoers to avoid tickets and tows, yet still enjoy a day at the beach. The Anna Maria Island Trolley makes regular stops both north and southbound along Gulf Drive. The Old Town Tram, a golf cart shuttle, and the Monkey Bus can both be reached by phone for an arranged pickup.
BRADENTON BEACH – Police are warning unsuspecting visitors of a possible scam.
A group visiting from Illinois was staying at a rental unit on Avenue A in Bradenton Beach when a tan-colored late-1990s or early-2000s sedan pulled into the driveway and a Hispanic woman in her mid-30s to early 40s got out of the car and approached the renters, according to a report filed by Officer John Tsakiri on May 5.
She asked in broken English if they were owners or renters. The group confirmed that they were renting, and the woman asked if they had enough clean towels. She walked into the house through the garage, then walked out of the house and said “OK, I’m leaving.” The woman got into her car and left the rental unit.
The renters contacted the rental company and told them about the woman, who was not authorized to be there. Police believe this may be a scam to allow the woman to enter the home and search for valuables to steal if no one follows her.
Police urge you to report suspicious activity and not allow anyone in your rental unit unless you are aware in advance they will be coming. If you observe suspicious activity, call the police immediately at 941-778-6311 and report the incident.
BRADENTON BEACH – A recent incident involving a stolen car, a stolen gun and a skirmish brought residents and police to city hall to tell commissioners about fear and inadequate funding.
On April 26 at 8:50 p.m., Bradenton Beach Police Officer Kyle Orms responded to a report of a possible fight in progress at the Summer Sands condominium complex near the 1100 block of Gulf Drive North. On the way, Orms was advised that a gun and 10 or more people were involved.
“Upon arrival, I observed approximately 10 subjects gathered in the street around one male subject on the ground. The male subject, later identified as Jonathan France, 17 years old, appeared to be being held down by a female subject later identified as Laketa Taylor. After the group parted and Mrs. Taylor let Mr. France go, Mrs. Taylor began yelling that Mr. France had stolen her vehicle and a gun and was trying to get away; and that she had been holding him there for the police,” Orms stated in his report.
While speaking with Taylor, Orms learned she had previously filed a report with the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office in which she alleged France stole her vehicle and a gun from her residence.
“While attempting to detain Mr. France, he began slamming his head into a nearby vehicle. I then took Mr. France to the ground and was able to secure him in handcuffs. After securing Mr. France, multiple subjects began getting into their vehicles and leaving the scene,” Orms stated in his report.
Officers from the Holmes Beach Police Department arrived to provide additional assistance. Bradenton Beach Police Officer Thomas Ferrara also later responded to the scene.
Taylor had learned on Facebook that France was on the Island and brought several people with her to confront him, according to the report. When confronted, France tried to run, the group stopped him and he fell, “yelling that he wanted to kill himself” and slamming his head into the concrete.
Taylor held him down while her husband, Dwight Evans Jr., grabbed a gun that was laying on the ground. Evans left, returning when Orms asked Taylor to have him bring the gun back to the scene, according to the report.
According to Ferrara’s report, Taylor’s husband found his stolen handgun – a loaded 9-millimeter semi-automatic pistol – while searching for the stolen vehicle that was found parked at the nearby Bridgeport condominium complex. Ferrara’s report notes Taylor’s car had a dead battery but was otherwise undamaged.
Orms ran a check that revealed France had been reported as missing and was the subject of multiple arrest warrants issued by the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office and one warrant issued in Sarasota. France was placed under arrest and transported to HCA Florida Blake Hospital in Bradenton. After being medically cleared, he was transported to the juvenile assessment center.
“I was advised that due to Mr. France’s statements, he would need to be transported to Centerstone for Baker Act,” Orms stated in his report.
Residents’ concerns
Addressing the commission on May 5, Bradenton Beach resident Ken McDonough said, “What happened that night was a wake-up call to us on 10th, 11th and 12th Street North. Five carloads of individuals came to the neighborhood.”
McDonough said many of the individuals wore “dark hoodies” and some tried to enter the Summer Sands pool area, which was locked.
Resident Ken McDonough described the April 26 incident to the city commission. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
“This wasn’t the normal thing for our neighborhood. As I went up towards 11th Street, I saw a bunch of individuals, one on the ground, and people screaming. At that point, somebody did get a hold of the police,” McDonough said.
“When the first officer showed up, everybody started to run in different directions. I was on the north side of the condominium garage. I went around to the south side and three carloads went out the south side of the garage, up Gulf Drive and crossed over the Cortez Bridge at a high rate of speed. The first policeman that showed up had his hands full. I was concerned for him because there were individuals screaming and running and by this time it was dark. I found out the next day that after the police left, two individuals came back into that garage and were looking for things,” McDonough said.
“In all the years I’ve been here I’ve never felt unsafe in Bradenton Beach. That night, everybody did in our neighborhood,” he added.
Resident Sheryl Blinde described her efforts to contact the police. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Sheryl Blinde was walking her dog as the events unfolded. Blinde told the commission she called 911 and explained what was happening to the operator. After being put on hold, she had to explain the situation again when her call was transferred to the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office.
“I was frightened and I just wanted to get a hold of the police,” she said, questioning whether there’s a more effective way to handle calls for police assistance.
Chief’s concerns
The police chief also addressed the commission.
“There was a young man in town that’s been having some issues and maybe he was thinking about taking his life. He’d been on the Island for a while and was at another condo resort. They knew he was out of place and he was there for a few hours just sitting in his car and nobody called us. This could have been taken care of right then. If something doesn’t look right, call,” Cosby said.
“Speaking with people over the past couple days, they were concerned because after the incident became under control, people were still lingering around and none of the officers appeared to be talking to them. The other officers there were from Holmes Beach. Their job is only to assist our officers if something is physically happening, which at that point it wasn’t.
“I only had one officer on duty. Holmes Beach had three to four officers on duty and that’s why they responded as the backup. Our officer was tied up dealing with the young man and wound up Baker Acting him. Half-hour to 45 minutes later, our second officer, which is our midnight officer, came on duty. He processed the car and processed the gun. So, he also was out of commission dealing with those two things,” Cosby said.
Cosby then addressed the annual budgets for two neighboring police departments.
“The city of Holmes Beach has three to four people on duty every shift. His budget is $3.5 million. The town of Longboat Key has three to four people on duty. They actually have it written in their manual that no less than two people can be working per shift. Their budget is $3.5 million. My budget is $1.36 million. I can’t provide that kind of service, so you’re getting what you pay for. Every year, the department heads are told, ‘We’re not raising taxes. Make do with what you have,’ ” Cosby said.
“As the county grows, and more people continue to move here, these types of incidents are going to become more prevalent. We have to figure something out because we can’t keep doing this. Somebody’s going to get seriously hurt. I only have so many people and I can only do so many things, so it falls back to you,” Cosby told the commission.
Cosby also discussed the city phone system the public uses to contact the police department.
“The phone system has been in disarray for five years. Every year we were told there’s no money to fix it. We paid $30,000 to put a patch in that doesn’t work,” Cosby said.
“The way the phone system’s supposed to work is at 4 o’clock we forward it to the sheriff’s office front desk. The deputies that work the front desk take the call, send it up to dispatch and an officer responds for a non-emergency. You know what happens? When they call the after-hours number, once in a while it will go through to the sheriff’s office. The second option is the call drops or it goes to the voice mail for the police department,” Cosby said.
Cosby said the phone system is finally getting replaced thanks to federal funds the city received as part of the federal government’s COVID-19 response and recovery efforts.
Regarding the police department budget, Mayor John Chappie said, “Every year we talk about the police department. We know you’ve been short-handed.”
Commission response
Chappie said Cosby recently told him the starting salary for a Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office deputy is increasing to $62,000. According to Cosby, the starting salary for a Bradenton Beach officer is $47,000.
Cosby said he’s still operating with nine officers instead of 10 because one officer is still recovering from an injury suffered long ago while making an arrest. Chappie said he and Cosby have talked about having two officers on duty at night.
“We’ve got to do something,” Chappie said.
Mayor John Chappie shares the police chief’s concerns. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Chappie said he and the two other Anna Maria Island mayors recently met with state Sen. Jim Boyd and state Rep. Will Robinson. The mayor said he reminded the legislators that the single-family homes once occupied by three or four people have been replaced by large vacation rental homes occupied by 10-20 people, which puts more pressure on the police department and the city’s limited resources.
Chappie said he encouraged Boyd and Robinson to help change the state law that currently prohibits cities and counties from using tax revenues generated by the county’s 5% tourist tax for infrastructure improvements and law enforcement.
“You can’t ask the citizens of Bradenton Beach to be burdened with that extra expense,” Commissioner Jan Vosburgh said. “It’s got to be coming from the county or someplace else because Bradenton Beach cannot afford to have a big police department.”
“Since Manatee County is growing so big, they need to contribute a little extra or allow us to take some of the tax dollars for the police department,” Commissioner Ralph Cole said.
Cosby said the city of Holmes Beach has made multiple police funding requests to the county, but to no avail.
Commissioner Marilyn Maro said investor-owned vacation rental homes are placing a greater burden on the police department and those investors should be required to help fund the additional policing needs.
Chappie said he and Cosby have talked to City Attorney Ricinda Perry about the potential implementation of a public safety impact fee for new construction.
“That is something we are going to be looking at seriously,” Chappie said.
Commissioner Jake Spooner said it’s unlikely the city will receive any additional outside funds for the police department.
“There’s not much fat in our budget, but we’ve got to make it happen,” Spooner said.
BRADENTON BEACH – Levi Oxendine, 22, of Bradenton, was arrested on March 30 for the theft of two bicycles – one that he was riding, and the other that he had on the handlebars.
Oxendine was riding northbound in the 2800 block of Gulf Drive when Officer Eric Hill spotted him. The rider looked panicked when he saw the patrol vehicle, and began to pedal faster in an effort to get away, Hill wrote in his report. When Hill turned on his emergency lights and called out for him to stop, Oxendine got rid of the second bike and took off in the opposite direction.
Oxendine
Oxendine cut through yards to try to avoid capture, but Hill was able to cut him off on Avenue E, according to the report. Oxendine slipped on loose gravel and cut his ankle, at which time EMS was called to treat the injury. Officer Tom Ferrara arrived on the scene to assist in the arrest and found Oxendine in possession of a methamphetamine pipe.
Both bikes were found to be stolen from Runaway Bay Condos, and the owners both wished to press charges.
When the officers ran a warrant check on Oxendine, they found he was wanted on multiple felony warrants for burglary, larceny and other charges in Manatee and Sarasota counties. According to records obtained from the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office, Oxendine has a record going back to 2017 with multiple felonies, including vehicle theft, drug charges and grand theft. He was arrested for burglary, obstruction and possession of drug paraphernalia and held in Manatee County Jail on $10,000 bond.
The bike arrest was the second in less than a week.
Hill also arrested Kelly Martin, of Bradenton Beach, for burglary on Avenue C on March 25 for entering a property where she formerly resided and stealing a bicycle from the current owner who stored it in a laundry room.
Hill said that despite the arrests, owners should always lock their bikes or secure them indoors.
BRADENTON BEACH – Police lights and the sound of helicopter blades woke residents early last Saturday morning as a driver blew past a Holmes Beach Police Department officer in the 2800 block of Gulf Drive, beginning a high-speed chase.
Donald Smith
HBPD Officer Frank Price was driving north when he saw Donald Smith’s vehicle speeding south, according to the police report. Price turned on his lights and siren and tried to catch up with the grey sedan, but the suspect continued to speed up. Smith appeared to attempt to stop as he neared the intersection of Gulf Drive and Cortez Road. Price saw a Bradenton Beach Police Department patrol car turn his lights on and turn into Gulf Stream Beach Resort at 1501 Gulf Drive. BBPD Officer Roy Joslin asked Price on the police radio whether HBPD was chasing the sedan and said BBPD Officer Devon Straight had followed the car to the parking lot.
According to the police report, Straight said he saw the vehicle come to a stop and saw Smith jump out of the driver’s seat and run into the woods behind the condo. Straight also identified the passenger, Koreiyale Johnson, and stayed with her and the vehicle. When Price arrived on the scene, he confirmed it was the vehicle he had been chasing. Johnson confirmed the driver of the vehicle was Smith, her boyfriend, and gave police a description of him and what he was wearing.
Officers found a white medicine bottle on the ground by Smith’s vehicle that contained a white powdery substance inside a plastic bag. They also found a large amount of marijuana inside the vehicle. Johnson denied knowing any drugs were in the car.
Police found that Smith’s vehicle had crashed into a parked car before he fled, so police upgraded charges to fleeing and eluding, as well as multiple drug charges. Smith fled into the mangroves but police could not locate him, so they requested assistance from the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office’s helicopter, which was dispatched to Bradenton Beach to assist in the search. The helicopter crew alerted police that Smith was spotted on Canasta Drive where he ran onto a dock and jumped in the water, hiding under the dock.
With the help of the helicopter, officers were able to capture Smith in the water, bringing him to patrol cars waiting on Avenue B. Smith was arrested for possession with intent to sell, possession of drug paraphernalia, leaving the scene of a crash, fleeing and eluding law enforcement, unknowingly driving with a suspended license and driving too fast for a narrow or winding road.
Smith was arrested and transported to HBPD for paperwork, then transported to the Manatee County Jail. Bond was set at $3,620.
BRADENTON BEACH – This time last year, 68 boats – many derelict – were moored or anchored in Sarasota Bay off the coast of Bradenton Beach.
As of Sept. 3, that number is down to 15, largely due to an increase in patrolling by the Bradenton Beach Police Department.
Though it is legal for anyone to moor or anchor their boat in the shallow water of the bay, there are laws that the crafts must adhere to.
“To legally be here, a boat has to run under its own power and be seaworthy,” Acting Police Chief Lt. John Cosby said. “The registration also has to be up to date and it must be able to be steered and maneuvered.”
To assure compliance with these regulations, Officer Eric Hill and other members of the department regularly patrol the bay on their boat, checking for up-to-date registrations and obvious violations. This can include a craft that has taken on water because windows or hatches have been left open, excessive barnacle buildup on the hull or missing sails and motors.
Officers can ask boat operators to demonstrate the seaworthiness of their craft at any time. If the owner cannot demonstrate the boat is in working order, they are issued a warning citation and given a period of time to make the necessary repairs. If there is no one present and officers see the boat is in obvious disrepair, they will attach the warning or citation to the craft.
“Wet storage” is the term used to identify an unoccupied boat not currently running. – Jason Schaffer | Sun
If necessary repairs are not made after a craft is warned or cited, the department runs the registration number and begins a derelict case on the boat. This process involves taking photos to prove the boat is not in working order, then sending a certified letter to the last known owner. According to Cosby, this doesn’t always get results because boats are often bought and sold without changing registration with the state.
“Let’s say I own that boat and I sold it to you, then I don’t tell the state that I sold the boat and you live on it. When a derelict report is filed on that boat, I’m responsible, not you,” said Cosby, explaining the complexities that can come into play when trying to get a derelict boat out of the bay.
According to Cosby, in some instances, boat owners will get in over their heads. Whether it was a dream of fixing up an older boat and the expense got out of hand, learning that living on a boat is more difficult than it may have seemed in the beginning or even having a boat sink, the dream often dies and the boat is left to deteriorate in the water. Officials understand this and have a way out for owners who are past the point of no return.
“If they can’t fix the boat, they can do what’s called a title sign-over. They give us the title to the boat and the city becomes the owner of the property,” said Cosby. While this may not be the desired outcome for the boat owner, it’s a way out. The owner doesn’t incur any fines and is not responsible for the cost of removing the vessel from the water.
With no sail or working motor, this is an example of a boat that is not currently up to code. – Jason Schaffer | Sun
The reasons for stepping up enforcement are mostly for safety, according to Hill, who pointed out numerous places along the Bradenton Beach Pier where there was new lumber from repairs made due to loose boats crashing into it during storms. Sunken boats and boats that have broken free of their moorings and run into shore are easy to spot on the bay. In addition to crashing into piers and shore, there is also a risk of collision with other craft in the water.
Cosby says while the new enforcement has shown amazing results and made the bay a much safer place, it took putting a plan into place and some education to make it happen.
“We got the city to adopt an ordinance; we had to go to court a few times, the judges really weren’t used to dealing with this so there was some courtroom education there to make sure fines were being levied against them. Eventually, word got out and some went over to Palmetto and some went south. They just realized they weren’t going to get away with it here,” Cosby added.
Cosby says his department is unique in the seriousness of their enforcement, saying only Sarasota is as strict, patrolling the area around Marina Jack.
The Bradenton Beach Police Department does not have a regular schedule of boat patrols. Unlike getting in a cruiser on land and taking to the streets, there are factors that can make it difficult to patrol the water. This can be especially problematic during the summer months when pop-up storms can be severe. Cosby also said the recent red tide has made it difficult to be on the water.
The effect of heavy summer rain is also easy to spot while on the water in the area where many of the boats in the bay are moored or anchored. “Listing” is a nautical term for a vessel that has taken on water and begins to lean to one side. There are multiple examples of this currently in the bay. If a boat is left listing and the water is not removed, it will eventually take on enough water to completely roll over and capsize. While most of the time a listing boat is not occupied and probably not a safety hazard to anyone onboard, it becomes a costly cleanup and removal project for the city, and may even prove to be an environmental problem as well.
BRADENTON BEACH – Lt. John Cosby is now the acting chief of the Bradenton Beach Police Department.
The “acting” designation will be removed from Cosby’s title in early October when current Police Chief Sam Speciale’s 35 years of service come to an official end.
Cosby was appointed acting police chief during the Thursday, Sept. 2 city commission meeting. He now carries all duties, responsibilities and authority given to the city’s police chief. Cosby joined the police department in 1988 and has long served as Speciale’s second in command.
When Speciale tendered his resignation to the city commission last October, he said his final day would be Oct. 9, 2021 – a date that marks 35 years to the day since Speciale joined the department.
Because he accrued so much vacation time and other paid time off during his 3 1/2 decades with the city, Speciale recently decided he would discontinue his active police duties as he waits for his retirement to become official in October.
Earlier this year, Speciale sold his home in Bradenton Beach. He now lives in Bradenton and he and his wife, MaryAnn, now spend much of their free time at their cabin in Georgia.
When proposing Cosby’s appointment as acting chief, Mayor John Chappie suggested Cosby’s salary be immediately increased to the current salary earned by Speciale. According to City Treasurer Shayne Thompson, Speciale’s current annual salary is $109,054 and was to increase to $114,507 when the new fiscal year begins on Oct. 1.
“He’s doing the work, he’s done the time, it’s only fair,” Chappie said, noting that he spoke to Speciale about the transition taking place.
Chappie also proposed giving Cosby a $2,500 bonus as compensation for the additional work he’s done during the transition period leading up to Speciale’s pending retirement. The rest of the commission supported the proposed salary increase and the bonus.
Cosby said he appreciated the immediate salary increase offer, but declined to take it because he does not want to impact the final remaining weeks of the police department’s current fiscal year budget. Cosby said he has some departmental expenditures he would rather spend that money on instead.
Cosby said he would accept the mayor and commission’s offer of a $2,500 bonus. Chappie then suggested, and the commission agreed, to increase the bonus by an additional $2,500 using Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) funds in appreciation of all the extra work Cosby has done regarding CRA projects and in the CRA district as a whole. The CRA portion of the $5,000 bonus is still contingent on final approval by the seven-member CRA board that includes all five city commission members.
Acting Police Chief John Cosby has developed strong working relationships with city officials, city residents, local business owners and his fellow officers since joining the police force in 1988. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
The commission also approved Cosby’s request that he be allowed to reserve his right to work special duty shifts that include marine patrols of the anchorage south of the Bridge Street Pier and other policing duties. Cosby will also continue his long-held role as the city’s emergency operations manager.
Chappie and the commission praised Cosby and Speciale for their many years of service to the city.
“I’ve known the lieutenant and I’ve known the chief for a long, long time. I know that they work together as a team to make this place what we’ve got right now. I want to thank you and him (Speciale),” Commissioner Ralph Cole said.
“You look at our community and the amount of crime and they’ve done an excellent job. My dad was mayor when Chief Sam came in. A lot of good things happened. These guys put us where we’re at right now. They’ve done an extremely great job. John deserves everything that we can give him. I know how hard you work. I’ve watched you work over the years. You should get everything you deserve,” Cole said.
Bradenton Beach Police Chief Sam Speciale announced his retirement last October. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
When discussing a brief potential pre-retirement return to the police department headquarters by Speciale before his retirement becomes official, Cosby jokingly said, “He better come back at some point because he left a lot of stuff in the office that has to go.”
After the meeting ended, Cosby shared some additional thoughts on his new role as chief and the chief’s duties he’s been performing during the transition period.
“Sam’s been semi-retired and working off his paid time. There will be some changes with the police department – stuff that Sam and I have talked about in the past – that are now going to come to fruition,” Cosby said.
Cosby was asked if he plans to appoint someone to serve as his second in command, similar to the role he served under Speciale for many years.
“Yes, I’ll make that announcement in October. I’m going to promote somebody from within,” Cosby said, noting the officer who gets promoted will hold the rank of lieutenant that he himself held for many years.
“We’re lucky to have you,” Commissioner Marilyn Maro said to Cosby as she exited city hall.
BRADENTON BEACH – It was a terrifying ordeal for Louise Augustin and her three young children after a drive to Coquina Beach quickly turned into an armed carjacking.
The mother and her three children were sitting in her car when a man armed with a knife approached the vehicle and demanded the keys.
The suspect, later identified as Bradenton resident Steven Lewter, 43, got in the car with his belongings while waving a knife, according to the police report. He attempted to drive away but realized that Augustin didn’t have the car keys, which were with her husband, who had already left the car. The three children were still in the back seat, causing the victim to fear for her family’s life. According to the victim’s statement to Bradenton Beach police, she began screaming and the suspect took off running.
Further down the road, Lewter approached a second victim, Zachary Peel, as he was sitting alone in his car on Coquina Beach. Lewter allegedly pointed his knife at Peel and said, “This is a carjacking” while trying to pull the vehicle’s door open. According to police, Peel got out of the car and prepared to defend himself at which time Lewter swung the knife at him, cutting Peel’s finger in the process. Peel was able to subdue Lewter until officers arrived and took him into custody. The cut on Peel’s hand was minor and didn’t require medical attention.
Coquina Beach, the scene of the recent attempted carjacking.
According to Bradenton Beach Det. Sgt. Lenard Diaz, the suspect appeared to be intoxicated at the time of his arrest and was upset about going through a break-up with his girlfriend.
“We’re really not sure what the motivation was to steal the car, where he was going to go with it, or anything like that,” said Diaz.
Lewter has an extensive criminal record and was on probation at the time of the crime, according to police. Because of the severity of the crimes and the probation violations, he is being held at the Manatee County Jail without bond pending his trial. Lewter has been charged with two counts of aggravated battery, assault with a deadly weapon without intent to kill and two counts of carjacking with a weapon. His trial is set for Oct. 25 with Judge Frederick Mercurio presiding.
Diaz said this was the first carjacking since a man jacked a Corvette about five years ago, crashing it moments later on the Longboat drawbridge. While incidents such as these are rare on Anna Maria Island, police remind everyone to be aware of their surroundings and remember that anywhere a great number of relaxed tourists are present, there is always the possibility of criminals taking advantage of people letting their guard down.
BRADENTON BEACH – What began as a battery charge over a spilled bottle of vodka has turned into William Clayton Corbitt’s conviction on battery and witness tampering.
Corbitt, 41, a homeless man, pled no contest to felony battery and tampering with a witness on July 30, according to Manatee County Clerk of Circuit Court records. He was adjudicated guilty and placed on probation for 24 months with credit for time served in county jail. He also was ordered to complete an eight-week anger management class and perform 100 hours of community service work.
On June 2, 2019, Bradenton Beach police responded to a fight in progress at Coquina Beach. They found the victim, Michael Ravenscraft, covered in blood from a large gash on his face. Marine rescue workers responded to treat his injuries, then took him to Blake Hospital for stitches and further treatment.
Before being transported by EMS, Ravenscraft told police that he had been sitting with a friend at a picnic table when Corbitt approached him. Corbitt and Ravenscraft talked about splitting a bottle of vodka but Ravenscraft left with the bottle, then returned and told Corbitt he had dropped it and there wasn’t any left in the bottle. An altercation then took place after Corbitt became upset about the missing vodka. He picked up a broken tree branch and struck Ravenscraft in the face, causing what the police report called “permanent disfigurement” to Ravenscraft.
Corbitt had fled the scene, but was located minutes later hiding under the Cortez bridge where he was arrested by Bradenton Beach police and taken to jail. A witness on the scene confirmed that Corbitt was the aggressor.
The Manatee County State Attorney’s Office filed the case, and on Feb. 24, 2021, recorded calls from jail showed that Corbitt attempted to tamper with the victim in order to compel him not to testify.
“Listen pops, I’m facing a PBL (punishable by life offense),” said Corbitt in the jail call to an unknown person. He went on to say that he was going to file for a speedy trial because if the prosecution didn’t have a warm body to testify, they would have to drop the case, according to court records. The defendant then told the subject on the phone to get somebody to help if he could.
BRADENTON BEACH – Two construction workers fell from a height of more than 30 feet on Wednesday, June 23, killing one and seriously injuring the other.
According to the Bradenton Beach Police Department, the fall happened at 5:40 p.m. as the men were standing on a makeshift scaffolding near the top of the three-story condo at 203 Bay Drive N.
“We’re guessing that the nails holding their scaffold just gave out. A witness who was next door said she heard a cracking sound before seeing the first man fall. The second man fell shortly after,” Det. Sgt. Lenard Diaz said.
Abelino Olvera, 49, of Arcadia, was found dead when police arrived at the scene. The cause of death was blunt force trauma to the head. Police identified the second man as Daniel Leon Thomas, who was transported to Blake Medical Center with serious injuries, but is expected to make a full recovery. Both were contract laborers, according to police.
BRADENTON BEACH – As of today, no additional details have been provided on the possible murder-suicide discovered at 2514 Ave. C in Bradenton Beach on Saturday, Oct. 17.
When contacted Monday, lead investigating officer Det. Sgt. Lenard Diaz from the Bradenton Beach Police Department said he was still unable to provide any additional details on the incident that resulted in the violent deaths of Sabrina Dumdei, 37, and Zachary Winton, 34.
Diaz attended the autopsies conducted Monday, Oct. 19 and a week later was still awaiting the autopsy results. Police Chief Sam Speciale said the department is also awaiting toxicology report results.
The morning after the deaths were first discovered, Diaz said, “A possible murder-suicide is what it appears to be at this time, but the investigation will be going on for quite a while. Going through the crime scene and photos, I’ll try to put something together, but it’s going to be speculation because there’s no witnesses and nobody saw anything.”
In the wake of her sister’s tragic death, Crystal Dumdei helped create a Sabrina Dumdei GoFundMe online fundraising page that as of early Monday afternoon had raised $12,205 from 109 donors.
“We are starting this GoFundMe to help her family in this time of need with funeral costs and all other expenses. Sabrina was a kind, beautiful, funny, loving, caring, smart woman with a heart of gold. This is an extremely difficult time for her loved ones, and every little thing helps. Thank you for all of your support and love, God bless,” the GoFundMe page says.
Sabrina Dumdei was a well-known hairdresser who had many clients and friends on and around Anna Maria Island.
Prior to their deaths, Dumdei and Winton were involved in three recently documented domestic incidents dating back to July that resulted in responses from the Bradenton Police Department or the Bradenton Beach Police Department.
BRADENTON BEACH – A concerned father found his daughter and her roommate dead in their home on Saturday afternoon in what police say could be a case of murder-suicide.
Bradenton Beach Police responded to a call yesterday around 2:40 p.m. at 2514 Avenue C to find the bodies of Sabrina Marie Dumdei, 37, and Zachary John Winton, 34, in what they described as a “gruesome crime scene.”
Members of the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Unit investigated the evidence that included a bloody deck chair. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
“We’re working a suspicious death investigation. A possible murder-suicide is what it appears to be at this time, but the investigation will be going on for quite a while,” Det. Sgt. Lenard Diaz, of the Bradenton Beach Police Department, said this morning.
“I will kill her. She gonna pay. If I get charged with felonies, I’ll kill her then myself. I will cut her throat.” – Zachary Winton
“This is probably the most gruesome crime scene I’ve ever worked – the worst in 37 years that I’ve ever seen,” said Diaz, who is leading the investigation. “It’s going to be really hard to put together what occurred, what the chronological events were that led up to the actual deaths. Going through the crime scene and photos, I’ll try to put something together, but it’s going to be speculation because there’s no witnesses and nobody saw anything.”
The Manatee County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Unit and the District 12 Medical Examiner’s Office are also participating in the ongoing investigation. Diaz said he would attend the autopsies on Monday and may be able to provide additional details afterward.
There are no signs of an additional person or persons being involved in the deaths, he said.
“We arrested him in September for domestic violence,” Diaz said, referring to an Aug. 31/Sept. 1 incident at the Bradenton Beach triplex involving Winton and Dumdei.
“I’m still trying to get ahold of the people who just bought the house so we can make arrangements for the families to go in and grab their stuff,” he said.
The couple who sold the triplex and reportedly closed on that sale on Friday arrived at the crime scene late Saturday afternoon and spoke with officers.
Investigation unfolds
Diaz, Police Chief Sam Speciale and officers Steve Masi and Devon Straight were among those who responded to the crime scene Saturday afternoon.
Sabrina Dumdei and Zach Winton were found dead inside this Bradenton Beach triplex on Saturday. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
“We’ve got what appears to be a murder-suicide. We have two victims, a male and a female,” Speciale said, adding that the deceased individuals lived in one of the units and there were no known occupants of the other two units at the time.
“The father tried to get in contact with his daughter and was unable to. He came to the house and noticed that she was on the floor. He broke a door window to gain entry and found her on the floor,” Speciale said.
From outside the triplex, a blood-stained plastic deck chair could be seen on the balcony deck and bloodstains were visible on the sliding glass door.
“Crime scene investigators are here now. They’re going through all the evidence. They’re documenting everything. The medical examiner will then move the deceased so we can get a better idea of what type of wounds and where they’re at,” Speciale said.
When asked if the wounds appeared to be from a gun, knife or some other weapon, Speciale said, “We have no idea. All I can tell you is there’s a lot of blood. We’re waiting to find out exactly where the wounds are and what they consist of. We do know their identities and we’ll go from there,” Speciale said.
“We’ve had domestic incidents at this location,” he added.
Sabrina Dumdei, right, will be missed greatly by her sisters Crystal Lynn and Jennifer. – Facebook | Submitted
Speciale said they could not release the names of the deceased on Saturday because Diaz was still trying to contact a family member of the deceased man. Speciale said he knew the female victim and she had been working at a nearby Bradenton Beach hair salon prior to her death.
At approximately 5:30 p.m., Diaz said, “We really don’t know what happened. It’s a rough scene in there right now, so it’s going to be awhile. It’s an ongoing death investigation.”
Upon their arrival, members of the Medical Examiner’s Office removed the two bodies from the second story living area shortly after 10 p.m. After the medical examiner’s van departed, Diaz said he was unable to provide any additional details because he was still trying to contact a family member.
Recent domestic altercations
Several neighbors told The Sun they heard nothing that indicated a violent altercation on Friday or Saturday, but some noted the couple could often be heard arguing, sometimes loudly.
Manatee County court records indicate a history of recent physical confrontations between Winton and Dumdei.
On July 19, Dumdei was arrested on suspicion of alleged domestic battery stemming from an incident that occurred in Bradenton.
According to the probable cause affidavit prepared by the arresting Bradenton Police Department officer, “I responded to 11045-808 Bristol Bay Dr. in reference to domestic trouble. I met with Ms. Sabrina Dumdei and Mr. Zachary Winton, who have been dating for approximately four months and have lived together at this location for approximately three months. Mr. Winton reported that they were arguing while sitting on the porch when Ms. Dumdei threw a can at him. He was struck on the lip and he suffered a small laceration, as well as some swelling.
“Mr. Winton stated that he and Ms. Dumdei were then standing on the porch when she began punching him several times in the chest with a closed fist. Mr. Winton did not wish to press charges. Ms. Dumdei was placed under arrest for domestic battery and transported to the Manatee County jail,” according to the affidavit.
Court records indicate that on July 23, the charges against Dumdei were dropped by Assistant State Attorney Victoria Gray and no further action was taken.
According to court records, Winton was arrested at the same Bradenton address by the Bradenton Police Department on charges of domestic battery on Aug. 10.
According to the probable cause affidavit, “On 8/8/20, at approximately 2303 hours (11:03 p.m.), officers responded to the victim’s residence in reference to a battery. On 8/7/20, while inside the victim’s residence, the defendant and victim became involved in a verbal altercation. During the course of the argument, the defendant struck the victim on the right eye with a closed fist in a backhanded motion.
“The officers responded to the residence on the listed date and could hear a disturbance. Officers attempted to make contact at the residence but were unsuccessful. As of result of this incident, the victim sustained broken blood vessels to the right eye, as well as a large bruise which extends from the eyebrow to the bridge of the nose and also covers the right cheek. The defendant in this case also sustained a large bruise to the left eye. The victim stated the defendant struck himself in the face after striking the victim as the victim threatened to notify law enforcement,” according to the affidavit.
“The defendant stated that at no point did he strike the victim. The victim made no Marsy’s Law request and did not wish to press charges. However, the victim wished to have an injunction filed on her behalf,” the affidavit notes.
Winton entered a not guilty plea on Aug. 12 and the charges were dropped by the state attorney’s office on Aug. 24.
Death threat made
According to court records, on Aug. 31, Winton was arrested by the Bradenton Beach Police Department on suspected charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, tampering with a witness, false imprisonment and domestic battery.
Zach Winton was one of the deceased persons discovered at the Avenue C triplex on Saturday. – Facebook | Submitted
The victim’s name and the address where the incident occurred are redacted in the probable cause affidavit prepared by arresting officer Steve Masi. But on Sunday, Diaz confirmed Dumdei was the victim in that incident that occurred at the Avenue C address.
According to the probable cause affidavit, “Defendant and victim had been arguing for the last two days, but today victim said it got worse. Victim stated Winton refused to let her leave the house or his sight by threats of violence. She felt confined. Defendant then grabbed her by the face and held a razor knife to her neck and said, ‘Leave and see what happens.’ Victim had a well-founded fear that Winton had the ability to carry out such a threat and that it would take place.
“Victim stated defendant would not allow her to use the phone, but only to call his sister, as he hindered or delayed her from making any other calls. Victim finally got away and made the call to 911 dispatch but had to hang up in the middle of the call, as defendant had found her and once again put her in fear of violence. Upon my arrival, defendant was yelling and walking at victim with a large kitchen knife I observed in his right back pocket. Defendant was then issued verbal commands at taser point to back away from the victim. He then complied and was detained. “While detained in the police department, Winton made numerous threatening remarks about what he was going to do to victim when he gets out, such as ‘I will kill her. She gonna pay. If I get charged with felonies, I’ll kill her then myself. I will cut her throat,’ ” according to the affidavit.
Winton was charged with three felonies in the incident – domestic aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, false imprisonment and tampering with a witness – and misdemeanor battery, according to court records.
On Sept. 9, Winton’s attorney, Jacob Grollman, filed a motion for consensual contact with the victim (Dumdei). That document states Winton had no previous felony charges and no history of physical violence.
On Sept. 15, an order was filed granting the motion to lift the no contact order and the status of the pending case remained open as of Saturday.
On Oct. 21, 2018, Dumdei was arrested by the Holmes Beach Police Department on suspicion of driving under the influence. According to the probable cause affidavit, Dumdei was also in possession of 21 clonazepam pills contained in a generic white bottle with no attached prescription information. On May 20, 2019, Dumdei pled no contest and was placed on probation for 12 months.
BRADENTON BEACH – The Bradenton Beach Police Department now has quicker access to the water thanks to the new boat lift installed next to the Bridge Street Pier.
Duncan Seawall, Dock & Boat Lift installed the lift after repositioning and repairing the floating dock that provides access to it.
Representatives of the Anna Maria Island Chamber of Commerce helped conduct a ribbon-cutting ceremony that served as the lift’s grand opening on Friday afternoon.
A few minutes before the ceremony, Duncan General Manager Steve Porter said, “We’re all done. We had until Wednesday of next week and we’re putting the boat on it today.”
The Bradenton Beach Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) had until Wednesday, Sept. 30 to complete the lift installation using a $50,000 West Coast Inland Navigation District grant approved by Manatee County commissioners in 2017.
Officer Devon Straight, Lt. John Cosby and Officer Eric Hill are pleased to have a boat lift for the police boat. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
On Sept. 14, the CRA members authorized Duncan Seawall, Dock & Boat Lift to install a 10,000-pound capacity lift for about $37,813. That day, the CRA members also authorized Duncan to complete the dock repairs and dock repositioning for an additional $11,600 as a separate project after learning the Hecker Construction Company that installed the floating dock in 2019 could not complete that work in time for Duncan to then meet the boat lift installation deadline.
While standing on the floating dock Friday afternoon, CRA member and Mayor John Chappie said, “Public safety is always the number one priority for any municipal government and having a place for our marine patrol officers to store the boat is going to help with rapid response when seconds matter. This will allow our officers to get out there as quickly as possible in emergency situations. Our officers will have more time on the water because they’re not going to have to go down to the boat ramp to launch the boat.”
Chappie praised City Attorney Ricinda Perry and Duncan Seawall, Dock & Boat Lift for completing the time-sensitive projects.
“We had a lot of issues and hurdles to get this done. Ricinda has done a great job pulling all the different threads together and I really appreciate that,” Chappie said.
“Duncan has always been a great partner with the city. We greatly appreciate it and we’re pleased with the results. They also built our pier and we’ve had no issues with it,” Chappie said.
“I’m pleased to provide another tool for our law enforcement officers and we could not have done this without the help of Duncan Seawall and the financial support provided by WCIND with the county commission’s support,” Perry said.
Officer Eric Hill serves as the city’s primary marine patrol officer in addition to his regular policing duties. He piloted the police boat to the boat lift Friday afternoon, accompanied by Officer Devon Straight.
“It’s going to make access to the water much easier. It’s been a long time coming and we no longer have to launch from the Coquina boat ramp and ride the channel up – that can burn a half-hour easily. We can now just drop the boat in the water, handle our patrols and come back. A lot of people are happy to see this and they told me they feel safer,” Hill said.
Lt. John Cosby often accompanies Hill on the patrols of the navigable waters south of the pier that are home to several live-aboard boaters.
“The quick response is going to be good. If there’s an issue we can go out and come right back. On holidays, we have to wait at the boat ramp too and you know what the boat ramps look like on holidays. This is going to make us a lot more efficient. We’re going to send Officer Straight to training and he’ll be our second boat captain,” Cosby said.
