Sarasota police identify man who entered pawn shop with baby

SARASOTA, Fla. (FOX 13) - Sarasota police say they identified a man who made "concerning statements" while in a pawn shop on North Washington Boulevard Tuesday.

An employee at A&F Pawn Jewelry and Loan said the man, who was carrying a baby in a car seat, "was concerned for the safety of the child and contacted the Sarasota Police Department based on statements the male made."

Surveillance video from the pawn shop showed the man pull up in a dark blue Nissan just after 5 p.m. The man gets the baby from the backseat, enters the shop, and puts the car seat on the counter.

The video does not include audio and Sarasota police did not say exactly what the man told the clerk. After about a minute, the man picks up the car seat and leaves the store.

Police said there are no reports of missing children in the city of Sarasota or the surrounding counties. They said they had spoken with the registered owner of the car, but did not say whether the owner was able to identify the man driving it or the baby he was carrying.

Police said they did not know the relationship between the man on the video and the child, but they said the child is safe as of Wednesday morning. 

They said the investigation is ongoing. No further details have been released, including the man's identity or the cause for suspicion.