A day at the beach it wasn’t for a Bradenton family.
They turned their heads on Coquina Beach July 31 and their SUV keys and a cooler were gone from their blanket on the sand.
Thirty minutes later, Manatee County Marine Rescue notified Bradenton Beach police to a vehicle driving in a picnic area that may have struck a park bench, according to BBPD reports.
Officers responded and observed a 2008 Nissan driving on the pedestrian pathway in the 2100 block of Gulf Drive, stopped the motorist and saw a beach cooler and set of keys in the back seat matching the victim’s description.
Joshua Vega, 28, of Seffner, was arrested at 5:24 p.m. for the alleged theft of the items. He told police he’d taken the cooler by accident. The victim arrived, claimed the $40 cooler and keys valued at $500.
Police arranged a tow of Vega’s damaged vehicle.
Vega was transported and booked at the Manatee County jail. He was released on a $1,500 bond.
Vega’s arraignment is set for 9 a.m. Friday, Sept. 2, at the Manatee County Judicial Center, 1051 Manatee Ave. W., Bradenton.