Theft, vandalism and more reported in last two weeks

Seven juveniles were charged by the Lee County Sheriff’s Office for stealing golf carts, and one of them was charged with criminal mischief for smashing out a window at the Boca Grande Post Office.

According to reports on Wednesday, June 13 a deputy met with a Gasparilla Inn security guard who advised he heard loud voices arguing near 5th Street and Railroad Avenue. When the deputy approached that area he saw a golf cart heading northbound on the path. After asking the vehicle to stop the deputy saw a white male jump from the cart and begin running. The deputy caught up to the male, a juvenile, and detained him.

The report states that six other juveniles came up to the cart while the deputy was detaining the male who fled. It was eventually determined that the golf cart had been rented by a guest staying at a cottage at the Inn.

One of the juveniles that was detained said they had all been drinking.

During the investigation the deputy found the owner of one of the golf carts, who said he did not give permission for anyone to take his golf cart and that he wanted to prosecute.

The report states that the deputy also found a window had been kicked or smashed out.  at the Boca Grande Post Office, where the juvenile had told the deputy they had been drinking. The building’s owner was notified, and he wished to press charges.

The juveniles were taken to the Lee County Jail and processed for grand theft, and one of them for criminal mischief.

On Tuesday, June 5 sheriff’s deputies met with a complainant at the Gasparilla Inn Golf Course in reference to a stolen and recovered golf cart. The complainant said that the cart was found submerged in the waters of the Boca Grande Bayou. The cart was a total loss, with a value of $5,000.

The caretaker at the golf course also said that flags on the course had been damaged.

Also on June 5 Lee County deputies received a call from law enforcement officers in Charleston Heights, S.C. According to the officers there, on April 17 they received a call from a woman who said that her BB&T bank credit card number had been used by an unknown subject to purchase a web site address from mysite.com on March 31 in the amount of $130.

According to reports, when deputies traced the transaction it led them to a post office box in Boca Grande listed under the company name Intermart Properties of Maine and Intermart Broadcasting.

The investigation is still ongoing.

Finally, also on June 5 deputies were called to the Englewood Bank & Trust where a teller said that on May 15 a white female came into the bank and passed a check for $2,299.14. The check was written out to an Englewood Bank customer. It was later discovered that the check was fraudulent.

The bank is now at a loss for the total amount. The investigation is ongoing.