Divers recover weapon that one suspect threw into Whitaker Bayou
The Sarasota Police Department (SPD) has arrested two teenagers “in connection with the string of bicycle thefts recently reported in the City of Sarasota,” the agency announced on Dec. 18.
During the afternoon of Dec. 17, a news release says, Sarasota Police detectives conducted an undercover operation in the 2700 block of Cocoanut Avenue in an effort to recover a stolen electric bike. While they were “attempting to take the two juvenile suspects into custody, one teenager ran away,” the release adds.
Detectives observed the suspect throw a firearm into Whitaker Bayou as he fled the scene, the release notes. “He was quickly taken into custody by Sarasota Police detectives,” the release adds.
The other juvenile suspect also was arrested, the release continues, “and the stolen E-Bike was recovered.
“Members of the Sarasota Police Underwater Search and Recovery (Dive) Team responded to the scene and recovered the firearm,” the release says.
Cayden Robinson, 15, has been charged with Dealing in Stolen Property, Possession of a Firearm during the Commission of a Felony, Possession of a Firearm by an Adjudicated Juvenile, and Obstruction, the release points out.
The second juvenile, Jumar Edwards, 15, has been charged with Dealing in Stolen Property-Principle, the release adds.
A Sarasota News Leader check of the records maintained by the Office of Sarasota County Clerk of the Circuit Court and County Comptroller Karen Rushing found that Cayden was cited in April 2021 for possession of a vaping device by a minor. At the time, the citation said, he was a student at McIntosh Middle School in Sarasota.
Then, in November 2022, he was cited for underage possession of tobacco. That citation identified him as a student at Brookside Middle School.
The total amount of the fine and court fees in each of those cases was $30. However, court records show that Cayden never paid the amounts.
The News Leader found no records for Jumar. However, it reviewed a number of cases involving a man named Jumar Edwards who was born in July 1991. Among those, the News Leader found a Probable Cause Affidavit in a 2011 domestic battery case that referenced Edwards’ 2-year-old child, indicating that the Jumar Edwards identified in those court records is the father of the Jumar Edwards that the Sarasota Police detectives arrested this week.
Charges filed since March 2007 against the older Jumar Edwards ranged from sale of cocaine to possession of not more than 20 grams of marijuana to Child Neglect with Great Bodily Harm to driving without a license to resisting an officer without violence. The 2013 child neglect case involved a female child, the Probable Cause Affidavit noted.
Police Department urging vigilance in online marketplace transactions
Sarasota Police officers are continuing to investigate thefts involving online marketplace transactions, the release points out. “Please continue to stay vigilant as you shop secondhand this holiday season,” the release stresses, providing the following tips:
- Meet in a safe location — Use the SPD Transaction Safe Place located in the lobby of the Sarasota Police Department at 2099 Adams Lane.” The lobby, which is monitored, is open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., seven days a week, the release says.
- Bring a friend —“Avoid meeting strangers alone. Having someone with you can increase safety.”
- Schedule meetings during daylight hours — “Meet during the day in well-lit public areas.”
- Avoid large amounts of cash — “Use digital payment methods when possible.”
- Do not allow test drives without verified collateral — “If you plan to allow a test ride, ensure buyers provide verified identification or other legitimate guarantees.”
The release adds, “The Sarasota Police Department encourages sellers to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity.” Anyone who has experienced an online marketplace theft or who has information about such incidents is asked to please contact the Sarasota Police Department at 941-316-1199 or Sarasota Crime Stoppers at 941-366-TIPS (8477) or by going online at sarasotacrimestoppers.com.