Sarasota Police Department officers find weapons after traffic stop
Two Sarasota men were arrested on felony charges after a Sarasota Police Department traffic stop led to the discovery that they were in possession of firearms, the Police Department has reported.
Both men — Davion Donterius Baker, 22, and Sylvester Lee Sanders Jr., 24 — are convicted felons in the state of Florida, the Police Department said in a news release. Firearm possession by felons is illegal, it added in the release.
Baker’s address is listed as 3872 Prado Drive in his Probable Cause Affidavit. Sanders’ residence was listed as 1231 67th Drive E., Unit 202.
Just before 10 p.m. on Sept. 15, the affidavit explains that Sarasota Police officers stopped a Chevrolet Camaro north of General Spaatz Boulevard on North Tamiami Trail, near the Manatee County line. “The vehicle was known to officers from previous interactions,” the news release added, and its license tag was suspended. Additionally, officers found no listed insurance for the vehicle before the stop, the release noted.
“Officers spoke with the driver,” the release pointed out; “Baker and Sanders were passengers in the vehicle.”
Officers explained the reason for the stop was the possibility that the driver was operating an uninsured vehicle, the release continued.
“While speaking with Baker and Sanders, officers observed what appeared to be narcotics in the front passenger door,” the release said, and both men appeared to be in possession of firearms.
Officers learned from a law enforcement database that Baker and Sanders “have violent criminal histories, including felony convictions for robbery and battery on detention staff,” the release said.
Baker and Sanders were asked to step out of the vehicle, the release pointed out.
“A fully loaded .40-caliber Smith & Wesson pistol with one round in the chamber” was located in Sanders’ pants, the release noted. “A .45-caliber Glock 21” with a fully loaded, extended magazine was found in Baker’s pants, the release added. The Glock was confirmed to have been stolen in Sarasota County, the release pointed out.
After Baker and Sanders were detained and the firearms were collected, the release said, “officers conducted a field test on the substance found in the vehicle. That substance “tested positive for methamphetamines,” the release added.
Sanders and Baker were arrested and taken to the Sarasota County Jail, the release continued. Each is facing a charge of possession of a firearm by a convicted Florida felon, a felony. “Both were released on $7,500 bonds,” the release added.
More details in the affidavits
The Probable Cause Affidavits for the two men explain that two Sarasota Police officers were heading north on North Tamiami Trail, never University Parkway, when one of them spotted the Camaro turning north onto North Tamiami Trail after it had been heading west on University Parkway.
They learned from the Driver and Vehicle Information Database (DAVID) that the vehicle had no insurance listed for it, the affidavits further note.
Because “of the potential that the driver was operating an uninsured motor vehicle on a public roadway,” the narrator of the affidavits continues, “we initiated a traffic stop on it …” The affidavits add, “It should be noted that we were unable to see who the driver of the vehicle was prior to the stop …”
As it turned out, the affidavits say, the driver was the registered owner of the vehicle, Joseph Sykes. Sanders was the passenger in the front, the affidavits continue, while Baker was in the back, on the right side.
“After Sanders rolled down the passenger window,” the affidavits add, one of the officers “was able to see a hard, L-shaped item between his legs. Based on my training and experience,” the officer narrating the affidavits writes, “I immediately believed this to be a firearm.”
When the officer asked Sanders about the firearm, the affidavits say, Sanders “alluded to it being his [genitalia].”
Since the officer was unsure of Sanders’ criminal history, “and his ability to legally possess firearms,” the affidavits continue, the officer collected [Sanders’] and Baker’s personal information” and waited for a backup officer to arrive.
While speaking with the men in the vehicle, the same officer writes, “I observed loose leaf tobacco and a white, crystal-like substance in the front-passenger door pocket.” He adds that he believed the substance to be an illegal one.
At the same time, the affidavits note, the other officer asked Sykes to step out of the vehicle; that officer “was working with him to ensure that the vehicle was insured.”
After backup officers arrived on the scene, the affidavits say, the first set of officers asked those officers to keep an eye on Baker and Sanders. One of those backup officers “also observed an item consistent with a firearm concealed in the front portion of Baker’s pants,” the affidavits add.
“A quick search of Baker and Sanders [in a database] showed a lengthy and violent criminal history for both,” the affidavits point out. “Because of this and the potential narcotics observed in the door pocket, Baker and Sanders were also asked to step out of the vehicle.”
When they “were patted down,” the officer writing the narrative says he “immediately felt a firearm” in the area where he had believed one to be in Sanders’ pants.
After Sanders was in handcuffs and moved away from the vehicle, the affidavits continue, that officer “removed the firearm, a fully loaded” .40-caliber Smith & Wesson pistol” and secured it in the back of the patrol vehicle.
One of the backup officers patted down Baker and found a .45-caliber Glock 21 “with a fully loaded extended magazine,” the affidavits add. A database search confirmed that that firearm had been stolen in Sarasota County, the affidavits note.
Further, the affidavits say, a field test of the substance in the door pocket was completed, “and the substance came back positive for meth/amphetamines.”
A criminal history check on Sanders and Baker showed that “Sanders was found guilty of Robbery with no Firearm/Weapon” on Aug. 25, 2022, the affidavits continue, while Baker had been found guilty of Battery on Detention Staff on April 12, 2023. Sanders had been released from prison on Sept. 11, the affidavits say.
Additionally, the affidavits note, the driver — Sykes — reported that he did have vehicle insurance, though he could not provide a card demonstrating that on the scene. Thus, officers issued him a citation for failing to provide proof of insurance.
Prior counts
A Sarasota News Leader search of 12th Judicial Circuit Court records found that the first incident involving Baker occurred in December 2020, when he was cited for having no driver’s license.
He also was charged in April of this year for possessing less than 20 grams of marijuana and narcotics equipment. On Sept. 8, court records show, he pleaded guilty. However, a court document dated Sept. 21 says that he failed to pay the court-ordered fines, fees and costs by Sept. 15. That notice gave him until Oct. 5 to pay the total of $388.
The News Leader also learned from court records that Sanders was charged in the robbery without a firearm in the aftermath of an incident that took place on Dec. 10, 2021; it was related to an argument over the sale of a pistol and a 9mm extended magazine, the Probable Cause Affidavit says.
The victim told Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office deputies that Sanders and an accomplice had robbed the victim of $300 in cash.
Sanders ended up being placed on probation on Aug. 25, 2022, but his probation was revoked on Jan. 22 of this year, and he was ordered on Jan. 27 to be jailed.
However, another court document indicates that he had received sufficient credit for time served, so he would not have to spend more time in jail.
Sanders also was charged in a petit larceny case in May 2022, court records note.
Then, in November 2023, he was on house arrest when his probation officer found that Sanders’ ankle monitor had been inactivated. A law enforcement officer was able to locate him, the relevant Probable Cause Affidavit says.
In the aftermath of that incident, Sanders was charged with resisting an officer without violence.