COLBY-ABBOTSFORD POLICE LOG

_ May 13 - An officer investigated possible ordinance violations at a home on North First Street in Colby. The officer could see two appliances and a microwave on the porch, and behind the garage was a pile of debris that included carpeting, wood scraps and metal. Photographs were taken of the property, and a letter was sent to the homeowners, giving them 10 days to clean up the debris before a citation is issued.

_ May 13 - An officer investigated possible ordinance violations on a Broadway Street property in Colby. The officer could see a pile of debris around what appeared to be a trailer. The junk included wood, metal, cardboard, a plastic container and appliances. Photographs were taken of the property, and a letter was sent to the homeowners, giving them 10 days to clean up the debris before a citation is issued.

_ May 13 - An officer investigated possible ordinance violations at a property on South Fourth Street in Colby. The officer could see several junk items around the project, including piles of wood, filled-up plastic bags on a trailer, several bicycles, an appliance, plastic, tires and plastic containers. Photographs were taken of the property, and a letter was sent to the homeowners, giving them 10 days to clean up the debris before a citation is issued.

_ May 13 - An officer was on patrol in Abbotsford when he observed a vehicle with no visible registration on STH 13. The officer pulled the vehicle over and met with the driver, who provided a valid Florida driver’s license. The driver was talking to someone on the phone and he wanted the officer to speak to the other party. He said it was his insurance company, and he was in the process of getting his vehicle insurance.

The officer refused to speak to the person on the phone and told the driver that he cannot call to get quick insurance during the middle of a traffic stop. Another officer arrived on scene to assist.

The officer asked the driver if he had any illegal drugs in the vehicle. The driver looked around and wondered why the officer would ask him that. The officer had his K-9 with, and said he always asks if there are drugs in the vehicle before he does a walk-around with the dog. The driver said there may be small pieces of marijuana in the vehicle from the last time he smoked in there. Since he admitted to possibly having marijuana in the vehicle, the officer told the driver that he would be doing a probable cause search.

A search of the vehicle uncovered a plastic soda bottle with a paper and napkins inside. When the officer removed the cap, he could smell marijuana. About 1 gram of the drug was found inside. The driver was cited for possession of marijuana and driving without insurance. The driver asked if he could just go to jail for a couple of days instead of being cited. The officer said that was not an option.

_ May 14 - An officer was dispatched to an Abbotsford apartment in reference to a suspicious activity complaint. The officer met with a woman who said there were two men in the parking lot threatening her life. She said she had opened her window to air out her apartment after her friend smoked inside. Through the open window she said she could hear some teen girls on a skateboard make a comment about the window being open.

The complainant said she then heard two males talking about killing her or cutting her. She said she had recorded the men, but when the officer asked to see the video, she showed him a short clip of her rabbit drinking water. The officer noticed there were several other tenants having a cookout in the parking lot, and there were previous issues between them and the complainant. The officer told her it was OK for them to be outside and for her to have her window open. The officer also spoke to the people outside, and they all denied saying anything to the complainant.

_ May 15 - An officer was dispatched to an Abbotsford residence in reference to a theft complaint. He met with a woman who said someone had stolen two signs out of her yard, either the previous night or early that morning. The two signs said “A Hero Lives Here!” The complainant said they each cost $15.

The complainant did not have any suspects in mind. The offi cer said whoever took them likely tossed them somewhere, like a ditch. He said the signs would be returned to her if they are found.

_ May 16 - An officer noticed an open door at an Abbotsford business while on patrol around 1:30 a.m. A few officers from other departments happened to be in the city at the time, so they responded to assist.

The officer located a storage building with a loading dock door that was open about two feet. Lights were on inside the building, and from outside, the officer could see some grocery store items stacked on pallets. An entry door on the building was also found unlocked. No one was found inside.

A phone number for the business was called, but no one answered, and there was no voicemail. The officer also noticed that another large garage door on the property was blocked on the inside by sheets of insulation with large fans running, creating a seal between the door and the floor.

On his next two overnight shifts, the officer noticed that the loading dock door to the storage building was open again, but there were no lights on inside.

_ May 16 - An officer spoke to an Abbotsford woman who was concerned about a child being left unattended. The woman said the child often plays with her own kids, but when he is asked to leave, he often does not go back to his own home and tries instead to go to other homes on the block. She said the boy’s mother will often leave him there without asking while she runs errands.

The officer went to the complainant’s house and spoke to her further about the boy in question. She said he is only about five or six years old and is often outside without any adult supervision. She often sees him on her neighbor’s property even when they are not home. She said the boy had also talked her son into stealing candy from a local store. She disciplined her own son, but asked the officer to speak to the other boy’s mother.

The officer went and spoke to the boy’s mother about letting him go outside unattended. He told her about the shoplifting incident, which she was not aware of. She said she tries to keep an eye on him, but she’s not always able to, so he checks in with her from time to time. The officer advised her that it was her responsibility to watch him, care for him and discipline him. If she doesn’t do this, he said social services may get involved. The officer also spoke to the son about not stealing or going onto other people’s property without permission.

_ May 17 - Officers responded to a report of gunshots near a nursing home in Colby. Clark County deputies also responded to the scene. Officers did not see anyone when they arrived, but one of them took down the license plate of a vehicle leaving the area.

One officer patrolled the area further, while the other spoke to a couple of employees at the nursing home who heard five gunshots in a row, followed by a pause, and then a sixth shot. At least one tenant at the home also heard the shots, and so did another community member who was in the area. No further evidence was found.

_ May 17 - An officer responded a retail theft complaint at an Abbotsford gas station. Dispatch reported that a male subject had stolen a 30-pack of beer and left the scene on a bicycle.

The officer checked the area but did not find the suspect. The officer then went and spoke to the cashier, who said the suspect had entered the store at the same time as another customer and then walked right out without paying for the beer he was carrying. The cashier said the suspect had come into the store before and asked her about the alcohol content of certain beverages before making a choice. She thought he may have cognitive issues.

The officer reviewed the store’s surveillance footage and could see the suspect walk out with the beer while the cashier was completing a transaction with another customer. The suspect was wearing a black hooded sweatshirt with white lettering on it, along with dark gray or faded black pants with white stripes. The officer said they appeared to be break-away basketball pants.