A persuasive man sold a woman a laptop computer sight unseen for cash while they were both pumping gasoline, she told police Monday, and he left before the woman realized there was no laptop.

The woman said she was getting gas at a station in the 3700 block of South Interstate 35E when the man at the next pump approached her. He had a box containing a bubble-wrapped item on top of which could be seen a computer company’s logo. He offered the supposedly new merchandise for $250, a police report states.

The woman went inside the convenience store and took $250 from her account via an ATM. She gave the money to the man and he gave her the cardboard box, according to a police report.

Both drove away from the station. She became suspicious and pulled over. She opened the box, pulled away the bubble wrap and discovered the contents were two three-ring notebooks with a sheet of paper containing the logo, the report states.

Other reports

700 block of Boardwalk Street — A woman called police at about 6:45 p.m. Monday to report that her car was damaged while she was watching a fight.

The woman said she drove by two men fighting in the street. She decided to see what was happening, so she drove around the block and returned to the fight. One man threw a hammer, which missed the other man and hit the back window of her car, according to a police report.

600 block of Stone Ridge Drive, Ponder area — Acting on a Crime Stoppers tip, sheriff’s deputies found a red Mazda RX-8 in a mobile home park Monday. The caller directed the search to an area off Old Stony Road where the car was parked on a street. The car had been reported stolen to Denton police.

5000 block of Tim Donald Road, Dish area — Someone caused $1,400 worth of damage to a sign in front of Dish Town Park by knocking it down, according to a report released Tuesday.

16000 block of King Road, Frisco area — Cemetery employees reported that someone took $20,000 worth of lawn equipment from a storage building, according to a sheriff’s report.

There was no apparent forced entry and the cemetery gate is locked every night, so the employees believed the crime was committed during the day by someone possessing a key, according to the report.

Roundup

From 7 a.m. Monday to 7 a.m. Tuesday:

• Denton police handled 233 service and officer-initiated calls, including reports of seven thefts, three frauds, one aggravated robbery, one credit card abuse, one vehicle burglary, two cases of someone interfering with an emergency call, one sexual assault case, two cases of criminal mischief, two burglaries, three aggravated assaults, one assault and one case of failure to identify as a fugitive.

• Denton County sheriff’s deputies responded to one report of recovered stolen property, one theft of livestock and one case of criminal mischief.

• Denton firefighters responded to 17 medical calls, one smoke investigation, one alarm and one public service request.

Other county reports were not available because of computer system issues.

DONNA FIELDER can be reached at 940-566-6885. Her e-mail address is dfielder@dentonrc.com .

Denton County Crime Stoppers will pay a reward of up to $1,000 for information leading to an arrest in these or other crimes. Callers will remain anonymous. Call 1-800-388-TIPS (8477). Reach the Denton police narcotics tip line at 940-565-5801.