Unidentified male victim found with ‘severe wounds’ to face and chest
(Editor’s note: This article was updated on May 12 to correct the reason for the redaction of victim information in the report.)
A Nextdoor post that went out to residents this week in an area near the Stickney Point Road/U.S. 41 intersection raised an alarm, The Sarasota News Leader has learned.
The writer of the post — a copy of which was provided to the News Leader — alleged that a man living in the Baywood Colony Garden Apartments located at 5800 Hollywood Blvd. had been murdered.
“Please be careful and watch out for any suspicious activity because the police have not found the murderer,” the post added.
Nextdoor explains on its website that it is “where communities come together to greet newcomers, exchange recommendations, and read the latest local news. … It’s how to get the most out of everything nearby.”
When the News Leader contacted the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office this week, to inquire about the Nextdoor post, Kaitlyn R. Perez, the department’s community affairs director, provided a copy of the report written about the incident.
“This case is still open and active,” she added. The victim had died, she noted.
“We are working in partnership with the Medical Examiner’s Office [for District 12] to determine cause of death. Preliminary autopsy reports have been inconclusive and additional tests are being done,” she pointed out.
The Sheriff’s Office report said the incident is believed to have occurred between 8 a.m. on April 13 and 3:59 p.m. on April 14.
The victim’s name and identifying information were redacted because the case is active and ongoing, Perez told the News Leader.
About 12:19 p.m. on April 14, the report said, the person who ended up contacting the Sheriff’s Office received a text message from an individual who wrote that she could not get in touch with a person at the apartment/condominium complex who had “a pending doctor’s appointment.”
The individual who filed the report — identified only as “Complainant” — then tried calling the alleged victim at 12:29 on April 14, “getting no answer,” the report noted. The complainant finally drove over to the apartment, arriving about 3:55 p.m., the report said.
Upon approaching the front door of the apartment, the report continued, the complainant found the door was closed but unlocked. When the complainant opened the door, the report said, the complainant found the resident of the apartment “seated in his living room recliner with severe wounds to his chest and head.” The complainant then called 911, the report added.
Next to the space for “Extent Injury” on the report, the officer who filled out the form wrote, “Serious,” noting “Severe Laceration” and “[Possible] Internal Injuries.”
After deputies and Sarasota County Fire Department paramedics arrived on the scene, the resident was transported to Sarasota Memorial Hospital, the report said.
The officer who wrote the narrative explained that the complainant told the officer that the resident of that unit “always locks his front door. Complainant further advised that the door appeared to not have any signs of forced entry.”
The last time the complainant spoke with the resident, the report added, was about 6:02 p.m. on Monday, April 12.
The address and occupation of the resident of the apartment also were redacted in the copy of the report Perez of the Sheriff’s Office provided to the News Leader. That action is in accord with the language of the state’s Marsy’s Law.
The report also pointed out, “NA [Not Available]/Unknown Offender” in the space provided for “Victim/Offender Relationship.”
The Sarasota County Property Appraiser’s Office indicates that each of the three Baywood Colony buildings has 16 units, according to a News Leader review of the records. The structures were built in the 1970s, the Property Appraiser’s Office website notes.
A search of the records for the individual apartments/condominiums found that one of the units is owned by Alex Kompothecras, son of Siesta Key business owner and chiropractor Gary Kompothecras. Alex was among the original stars of the MTV series Siesta Key that his father created several years ago.
Siesta Acquisitions LLC, whose manager is Gary Kompothecras, according to the Florida Division of Corporations, also owns three of the units, Property Appraiser’s Office records show.
Sarasota County does have a Crime Stoppers website, where persons may leave information anonymously “about unsolved crimes, wanted fugitives, drug activity, stolen property, human trafficking, illegal weapons, terrorism, or any other crimes,” the website points out.
An individual also may call the Crime Stoppers hotline: 941-366-8477.