MCSO Names Employee and Deputy of the Month

BRADENTON – On March 10, 2011, Ashley Eannarino received a case on a father and child who were homeless and possibly living in a vehicle near a convenience store on Bradenton Beach. She went to the store to speak to clerks who knew the family, but they did not have information on their location.

Ashley took the initiative to drive the streets of Bradenton Beach and found the man and his child parked in a parking lot. She determined there was no abuse and was able to assist the father to seek services for help.

Ashley took the extra steps necessary to find this family, ensure the safety of the child and help to obtain assistance for both, for which she is awarded MCSO Employee of the Month for September 2011. Congratulations!

In the current economy, the rising price of gold has resulted in a substantial increase in residential burglaries where jewelry is the target. During the fall of 2010, there was a trend of daytime burglaries with a description of two suspects and a vehicle. 

Detective Joe Petta and other investigators located the vehicle at a gold store and arrested the two suspects after the investigation revealed that the items they brought to the gold store were stolen in a burglary that same day. Further investigation implicated the store owner as a fence for stolen property in several other cases where jewelry was stolen.

Detective Petta spear-headed the long-term investigation dubbed Operation Gold Rush, and identified three other burglary groups. Nine burglary suspects were identified and arrested on numerous felonies. In addition, the store owner was arrested on warrants after purchasing jewelry he believed to be stolen and failing to comply with dealer record-keeping requirements.

Detective Petta was persistent and remained focused through this long and complex investigation, for which he is awarded Deputy of the Month for September 2011. 

Congratulations!
Sheriff W. Brade Steube