Caught Red-Handed

A man was caught robbing students’ mode of transportation with a pair of bolt cutters hidden in his floppy black guitar case.

Using Winter Break to his advantage, the man attempted to steal bikes from a bike rack on the northeast side of the Arizona-Sonora residence hall on Dec. 30.

A University of Arizona Police Department officer first noticed the man riding his bike northbound on Park Avenue at approximately 8:30 a.m. carrying two bags and a guitar case on his back.

The man turned into the bike rack and ducked behind some hedges. Though the officer could not see what he was doing, he reported that he suspected the man was tampering with locked bicycles. 

The officer then noticed that the man placed a pair of bolt cutters into the guitar case.

Noticing the officer, the man attempted to conceal the bolt cutters by zipping the bag closed, even after the officer ordered him to stop reaching into the bag.

The officer handcuffed the man and read him his Miranda Rights.

The man told the officer that he was planning on trading the bolt cutters in at a local hardware store. He did acknowledge that he had used the bolt cutters to steal bikes in the past.

The officer searched the area near the bike racks and found several cut cables and bike parts scattered around.

The officer ran the mans name through dispatch and learned that the man had a warrant out for his arrest. The officer informed the Tucson Police Department, who arrived and took custody of the man.

The man was given a 12-month exclusionary order from the UA and was transported to Pima County Jail by TPD.

Early Morning Joy Ride

Police apprehended six suspects after responding to a radio message regarding a stolen silver SUV on Dec. 31 at approximately 1 a.m.

The UAPD officer followed the vehicle eastbound on Speedway Boulevard until it turned into the  U.S. Post Office and went through the mail drop-off loop. The vehicle then slowly approached the officer’s car.

The officer exited his car and commanded the driver to stop his vehicle. The driver did stop the SUV, but he and two other passengers proceeded to flee the scene. The three additional passengers remained in the vehicle.

More officers were called to the scene and dispatched to apprehend the fleeing suspects.

Three officers approached the vehicle and instructed the suspects to exit and lay on the ground. The suspects complied, and the officers proceeded to handcuff them.

With the help of the Tucson Police Department canine unit, the three suspects who had fled were all apprehended. Another suspect was apprehended using the air unit’s spotlight to locate him.

Officers read all six suspects their Miranda Rights and booked the driver of the SUV for motor vehicle theft. One of the passengers was arrested for possession of drug paraphernalia for carrying marijuana on his person. Another passenger was arrested for an unrelated felony warrant.

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