MANATEE — A 59-year-old man was arrested on burglary charges after deputies spotted him taking tires from two East Manatee tire stores, according to the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office.
Patrol units were dispatched after the burglar alarm went off at Tires Plus, 7115 State Road 70 E., about 10 p.m. Thursday. A watch unit observed a truck parked behind the business with two tires in the back of the truck.
The driver of truck then left Tires Plus and drove to Tire Kingdom, 7390 52nd Place E., and went to a fenced-in Dumpster and separated tires into stacks. He then drove away but returned a short time later and loaded 10 tires into the bed of the truck and drove away, according to the sheriff’s office.
Deputies then made a traffic stop and arrested Trinidad Armando Vasconcelo, of Bradenton.
Vaconcelo, who faces two counts of burglary and other charges, was being held at the Manatee County jail on bonds totaling $22,870, according to the sheriff’s office Web site.
Landscaping truck stolen from mobile home park
MANATEE — Authorities say a landscaping business had a truck filled with landscaping equipment stolen from an Ellenton mobile home park, according to a Manatee County Sheriff’s Office report.
The truck, owned by a contractor performing landscaping maintenance at Colony Cove mobile home park, in the 3300 block of Victory Road, was stolen sometime early Friday morning, according to the sheriff’s report.
Deputies in Hillsborough County later found the truck abandoned, but all of the landscaping equipment in the truck was gone.
Sheriff’s deputies say a similar burglary took place Nov. 2 at Greenbriar Landscape, in the 11000 block of U.S. 301, where a truck and lawn equipment valued at $65,000 were stolen from a storage unit.
Woman beaten, robbed during card game
MANATEE — A gunman beat and robbed a woman of $180 early Friday morning, according to the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office.
The woman told deputies that a friend called her and asked her to go play cards at a residence in the 1100 block of 27th Avenue West, Bradenton, at about 2:40 a.m.
After they were there for a while, one of the occupants of the house punched the victim in the face, knocking her to the ground. He then pulled a handgun and demanded her money, according to a news release.
The victim stated she went home and called the sheriff’s office.
When deputies went to the residence where the robbery took place, there was no one there, according to the sheriff’s office.
— Robert Napper and Marc R. Masferrer
Police briefs are compiled from reports from the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office, the Florida Highway Patrol, the police departments from Bradenton, Palmetto and the island communities and fire departments in Manatee and Sarasota counties. Those with information about crimes can call Crimestoppers at (866) 634-TIPS (8477).
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