Man sets fire to Wal-Mart after unsuccessful attempt to return merchandise

OK. so you approached the customer service counter at a Bradenton Wal-Mart Supercenter and tried to return some items.  Alas, something apparently smelled fishy to the clerk, who refused to refund your money.

Granted, this sort of thing can be upsetting.  But setting fire to the store -- which caused about $500,000 in damage -- was not the smartest thing to do.  Especially since there are surveillance cameras everywhere in Wal-Mart.  So no surprise that you were quickly arrested and charged with arson, according to the Bradenton Herald.

Additional information available from the Manatee County Sheriff's Office.

Man steals money from DAV bar, is chased down and tackled by vets

Seriously, dude. Why in the world would you attempt to steal money from a Disabled American Veterans bar? During a memorial service yet, for a retired service member who'd recently passed.

Not only is that cold...but you were also freakin' incompetent. According to the Bradenton Herald, the old soldiers chased you down like the dog you are, tackled and held you till the police arrived, and recovered all of their money.

“They went after him on their motorcycles, trucks, cars, whatever they had,” the DAV bartender told the newspaper.

Don't you find that just a little bit embarassing?

So there you sit in the Manatee County Jail charged with armed robbery and aggravated assault...and serving as an object lesson to those who think they can take advantage of disabled veterans.

Trick or treat; cash preferred

HeraldTribune.com reports that a man wearing a Halloween mask shoved the assistant manager of a Bradenton Dollar Tree store to the ground Thursday night and made off with $1700 and a traveler's check, according to police.  The robber, described by the Manatee County Sheriff's Office as a 5-foot-10 black man weighing about 170 pounds, was wearing a tan sweatshirt and black boots in addition to the mask.  Police said the assistant manager was not injured.

Topless photos not popular at Sheriff's Office

The Manatee County Sheriff's Office has suspended a 36-year-old civilian employee for showing topless photos of herself to co-workers while on duty, according to BradentonHerald.com.

Sheila Meschelle was suspended for seven days without pay for insubordination and  unbecoming conduct.

After she brought photos of herself wearing political campaign stickers as pasties late last year, she was told never to bring photos like that to work again. But a few months later, she showed three deputies photos of her topless at a Manatee gun range.

O Romeo, O Romeo...

HeraldTribune.com reports that a 20-year Bradenton man was arrested Monday night after he hit his girlfriend for refusing sex and then went to another house armed with a machete and stole stereo equipment.  According to a report from the Manatee County Sheriff's Office, Adam D. Arling attempted to persuade his girlfriend to have sex with him at about 5:30 a.m. and hit her in the face and chest when she turned him down.  About 90 minutes later, authorities said, he pounded on the door of another house and threatened the residents with a machete, and then entered their storage closet and purloined speakers and a speaker box.

Oh, to be 80 again

A 94-year-old Bradenton man whose arrest in a prostitution sting caused an international buzz -- at least among late-night comics -- will not be prosecuted. A judge has ruled that he was a victim of entrapment, says Sarasota's HeraldTribune.com.

A kinder, gentler home invasion

Yes, they kicked down the door of a Bradenton home late Monday night and repeatedly punched a 25-year old man seated on the couch.  Yes, they ended up shooting him in the upper arm before fleeing in their dark-colored vehicle.  But not before one of the evil-doers escorted the victim's grandmother to a chair in the living room and made sure she was getting sufficient oxygen from her O2 tank, according to the Bradenton Herald.

Bible study included secret videotaping

A Bradenton youth minister is accused of secretly videotaping Bible study students as they undressed, the Sarasota Herald-Tribune reports. Matthew C. Porter, 30, of Ellenton was charged this month with nine counts of video voyeurism for videotaping students ages 12 to 16 over two years at his Ellenton home and  Bradenton apartment. Authorities say Porter admitted making the tapes for his sexual gratification. He resigned from Bethel Baptist Church last summer. It's unclear how many students were taped and why they were undressing.

No joke: cop sent nude photos by cell phone

A Bradenton cop quit over nude photos of himself he sent by cell phone to three female co-workers, including a crime scene investigator, the Bradenton Herald reports. Officer Alex Arana quit last month during an internal affairs probe. He had been on the force more than three years. One photo he sent to a dispatcher showed a nude man with a "bunny rabbit covering the groin area." Arana's defense: he sent the photos and videos on his own time, with his own phone. Besides, he said, it was a joke.

Fight over girl led to 9-year-old's death

New court records suggest that a fight over a 13-year-old girl led to a stray bullet killing a 9-year-old boy in Bradenton last year, the Bradenton Herald reports. Stacy Williams III was riding his bicycle in his neighborhood May 21 when gunfire erupted at a crowded fight between two teens who authorities say are affiliated with street gangs. But it wasn't gang activity that led to the shooting, witnesses said. A 13-year-old Bradenton girl told defense attorneys that two boys had been fighting over her before the shooting. She dated one of the boys, and the other "liked her," even tattooing her name on his body.