Blame it on the alcohol

The University of Arizona Police Department stopped a silver Infiniti G37 with Texas plates turning onto Sixth Street from Park Avenue after the car made an illegal turn near Mansfeld Middle School at 1:48 a.m. on Feb. 16.

When the driver, a UA student, rolled down the window, the officer detected a strong odor of alcohol.

The driver stepped out of the car and said he had been at an off-campus party, but had not drunk any alcohol since he was a designated driver.

The officer then asked again if he had been drinking, and the student became nervous.

“I was making out pretty heavy with a girl who had a Jolly Rancher shot, so that’s what you smell,” he said.

The officer then asked the student to take a preliminary breath test, telling him that he wouldn’t go to jail or get in trouble if he hadn’t drunk anything. The student asked what would happen if he refused to take the test, and the officer replied he would document the refusal in his record.

After several minutes, the student decided to take the breath test and blew a .011.

The student then performed several walking and balance tests, none of which showed probable cause for a DUI arrest.

The student was cited for being under 21 and driving with liquor in his body.

The officer then asked the passengers of the car to exit the vehicle, which is when the officer smelled marijuana.

The driver told the officer there was no marijuana in the car, but that a grinder and pipe were located in the glove box. The officer then searched the vehicle, finding a grinder, two pipes and a prescription medicine bottle containing 1.2 grams of marijuana.

The contraband was filed into evidence.

The passengers were released with no criminal violations while UAPD asked the driver further questions.

His car was impounded and he was cited and released on charges of minor in possession, possession of marijuana and possession of narcotic paraphernalia.

We’ll figure it out

A UA student was cited and released on charges of minor in possession outside of Likins Residence Hall while she was throwing up at 12:52 a.m. on Feb. 16.

Police noticed the student stumbling on the sidewalk near the dormitory, nearly falling and balancing herself on a friend.

An officer got out of his patrol vehicle and started talking with the woman. The officer said she had watery eyes and trouble balancing and smelled strongly of alcohol.

Additionally, the student had slurred speech and “talked with a thick tongue.”

The friend helping her balance said the woman lived in Villa del Puente Residence Hall, and police said they would help her get back to her dorm.

It then became necessary for police to grab the woman more than once to keep her from falling over.

As police spoke with the two, the friend who was aiding the woman hopped up onto a short wall outside of the dormitory to sit. The woman tried to join her, but failed three times in a row.

The officer asked her to stop since she would hurt herself.

The woman then began throwing up under a tree as police completed their report.

The officer cited the woman for minor in possession. Her friend said she’d help her “figure it out,” and she was released back to her dorm.