TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Fence Squabble Escalates To Arrest

ADVERTISEMENT

By KEITH MORELLI, The Tampa Tribune

Published: December 12, 2007

BRADENTON - The fence went up a few years ago, and that was the beginning of the end of the neighborly relationship between the Tuttles and the Beams.

From that point, the relationship spiraled downward to last week, when Kim Beam was arrested on charges she stalked her neighbors, hurled eggs at their home and stole plants and statues.

The 48-year-old was released from Manatee County Jail after posting $2,500 bail on misdemeanor counts of simple stalking, larceny and criminal mischief.

The Tuttles say it took a year for Manatee County sheriff's deputies to obtain a warrant on the strength of an affidavit signed by a witness and a surveillance videotape of egg tossing provided by the Tuttle's 16-year-old son, Josh.

The squabble began several years ago, said Chris Tuttle, and involved a fence Beam put up. Before that, the neighbors in the 14700 block of First Avenue East got along just fine, she said.

Tuttle said Beam put up a privacy fence that encroached on the Tuttles' property and they asked her to take it down. She refused, Tuttle said. The Tuttles hired an attorney, and a letter was sent ordering Beam to take the fence down.

She did, and that's when things got worse, the Tuttles say.

"We had all these happenings," Tuttle said. "The house and mailbox were egged several times. Plants were stolen off our porch. And some statues turned up missing. Once there was cat feces smeared on the side of our house."

Initially, the vandalism and thefts were thought to be the work of teenagers, Tuttle said.

The Tuttles eventually began to suspect their neighbor. Sheriff's detectives were called, and they suggested setting up surveillance cameras. It was during that time a neighbor signed an affidavit saying he saw Beam tossing eggs at the Tuttles' mailbox.

Then Josh Tuttle set up video cameras in the bushes and captured the image of Beam tossing eggs at the house, his mother said.

That was in April 2006.

"It took a long time before anything was done," she said. "I was very disheartened."

New detectives were put on the case and charges were filed. "We are pleased with the outcome," she said.

The Tuttles and Beam have been neighbors for almost eight years, she said.

"We did speak in the beginning," she said. They don't now.

Beam was arrested Thursday and released Friday, jail records show. She could not be reached Tuesday for comment.

Reporter Keith Morelli can be reached at (813) 259-7760 or kmorelli@tampatrib.com.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT