MAY 19, 11 P.M.: Blanco N., a Domino's delivery man, drove to the 2800 block of West Concord Street to deliver a piping-hot pie to a hungry customer. Upon arrival, he stepped out of his delivery mobile and into the black night to retrieve the pizza from the trunk. Unfortunately for Mr. N., four famished potential felons were lurking nearby, the scent of melted mozzarella and hand-tossed dough tickling their nostrils.
As he reached into the back of the car to fetch the food from the HeatWave™ bag keeping it warm, the voracious quartet struck, relieving Mr. N. of a single pizza valued at $25.06. (It must have been a large ExtravaganZZa Feast, perhaps with extra cheese.)
One of the robbers – a dreadlocked male – threatened Mr. N. with a knife as another dashed down the street, pizza in hand. A third assailant shouted a tip to his comrades in crime: "Run, everybody." All three remaining perps heeded the advice, disappearing between houses. Police reports do not indicate whether the bandits left a tip.
MAY 18, 11:15 A.M.: Hot eats are nice, but cold scraps will suffice for those with a hunger for crime.
In the 600 block of West Robinson Street, Jeffrey S. was just stepping out of his office at Creative Packaging when he spotted a fishy scene in the business' bay area. Mr. S. watched as a man on a mission dug through the trash receptacle, searching for pieces of scrap metal.
Meanwhile, beautiful sunshine spilled through the bay's open door, illuminating the unabashed suspect and his speedy fingers.
It was too late by the time Mr. S. dialed the Orlando Police Department, however. The nickel-nicking suspect was last seen carting eastbound on Robinson, pushing a shopping cart filled with the prized stolen scraps.
MAY 18, 7:30 A.M.: Only hours prior, one of Orlando's finest was investigating the scene of another commercial burglary, this time involving a common food-storage device.
Rickey S., an apartment complex maintenance man, locked a vacant apartment in the 800 block of Dunbar Court May 14. Sometime between then and the noted hour, the apartment's front window was smashed to shards. The suspect or suspects entered the echoey space and removed one appliance that no kitchen should lack: a white Whirlpool refrigerator – empty, of course.
The burglar or burglars hauled the bulky booty to the apartment's rear, using the back door as an exit. Perhaps their next stop was Winn-Dixie, where the suspect or suspects would shop for champagne, blintzes and lobster tails to fill their purloined Whirlpool's empty shelves.
MAY 17, 9:15 A.M.: Sometimes a thief with an appetite for petty crime gets much more than he bargained for.
Donnicia M.'s husband had just returned from a trip. After parking his suitcase-stuffed car at their home in the 600 block of Hillcrest Street, he lugged some of the luggage indoors. The reunited couple made a second trip to the car to unload the remaining bags. Upon re-entering their marital abode, the couple quickly realized crime had paid them a visit. A single tote – valued at $125 – was missing. The goodies stored within the boosted bag, however, were truly cause for anguish.
By snatching the bag via the home's unlocked front door, one very lucky thief made off with $3,442 worth of jewelry and personal hygiene products. Included in the haul: a $900 opera-length string of pearls, a $450 gold bracelet, a $250 butterfly pin encrusted with diamonds and a bag filled with $200 worth of makeup. Items of lesser value included $40 skin medicine and $2 house keys.
APRIL 1, 11 P.M.: An incident occurred much earlier than the above reports that seems oddly fitting, and so is included in this report. It is illustrative of just how far a hunger for crime will drive some of our citizens.
Annie G. was alone in her apartment in the 2000 block of Orange Center Boulevard when she gulped down the prescription medicine that would surely guarantee her sweet slumber.
Before retiring to the sofa, she draped her pants, with all of their pocketed contents, over a chair. She was asleep by 11:30 p.m.
Seven hours of drugged dormancy later, Ms. G. awoke. She walked into the kitchen on the south side of her apartment to discover the rear door had been pried open, despite being secured with a deadbolt lock. She noticed that the refrigerator door was ajar, spilling a thin beam of light onto the floor. She opened the freezer, prepared for the worst. She was not disappointed.
Two packages of meat, with a combined value of $6, were missing. Ms. G. then checked the pockets of her pants and found them empty. The beef burglar had also taken her wallet, which contained a Florida ID card, a debit card, a charge card, a doctor's pass and other valuables, including $240 cash. Plans to obtain more meat? Perhaps.
