Bandit bagged at bookstore

A man was cited and released for shoplifting on March 23 at 3:40 p.m.

While on patrol, an officer was flagged down at the UofA Bookstore. A security staff member told the officer that there was a man inside the store who had placed a pair of headphones into his backpack but had not left the store yet.

The officer waited with the security guard at the entrance of the store for the man. When the man walked out, the officer made contact with him. The man was escorted to a conference room. He took the headphones out of his backpack and put them on the table.

The man told the officer that he had gone into the store with no intention of stealing the headphones. He said he had seen the headphones display saying they were on sale and he wanted to get them for his girlfriend. When he saw the price, he did not know if he had enough money to buy them, so he put them in his backpack and decided to take them without paying for them.

The man was cited and released on scene. He was told he would not be allowed in the bookstore until he finished a diversion program with the Dean of Students Office or he would face trespassing charges. The total cost of the stolen merchandise was $9.99.

Man touches self, solicits sex at Bear Down Gym

A man called officers to report a man touching himself and soliciting sex at Bear Down Gym on March 23 at 12:40 p.m.

Police spoke to a man who said he was changing at Bear Down Gym when another man started talking to him. The man told officers that the two men were alone in the gym changing. The man told officers that while the other man was making small talk, he began to touch his genitals. The other man then asked the first man if he wanted to go into the showers and have sex. The man told officers that he declined the offer and left the area.

Police responded to the gym and found no one matching the description the man had given them.

The man did not wish to press charges, but wanted the incident documented.

Irate ex-student arrested on trespassing charges

A man was arrested on two charges March 24 at 11:39 a.m.

Police responded to the Modern Languages building in reference to an unwanted person in the area. When they arrived, they made contact with a UA employee who said that at 9:55 a.m. an ex-graduate student entered the Spanish and Portuguese office and requested to see the department head. The employee told the man that the department head was out of the office. The man then began to raise his voice and demanded to see the department head. When the man realized that he would not be able to see the person he was looking for, he yelled at the employee, saying “”You better not call the police!”” and then left the office.

The employee added that the man had been given a previous exclusionary order as a result of threatening e-mails he had sent to the department head. The man was no longer welcome in the Spanish and Portuguese Department because he had been dismissed as a doctoral student due to concerns over his alleged drug use and mental instability. Police could not locate the man in the surrounding area.

At 11:19 a.m., employees in the department called UAPD again, saying that the man had returned to their office. Police made contact with the man. A records check showed that he had no wants or warrants, only an expired exclusionary order from October 2008.

The man told officers that he was in the building trying to regain admission to the graduate program. He denied being in the building earlier in the day.

He became uncooperative and tried to leave the area. He had to be detained by two officers.

Police spoke with the department head’s assistant. She told officers that when the man returned he had asked for an admission application packet. She gave the man the packet to keep him pacified and in the building until UAPD arrived.

While searching the man, police found a four-inch folding knife in his pocket. It was confiscated and placed into evidence.

The man was booked for second degree criminal trespassing and interfering with an educational institution. He was also given another exclusionary order prohibiting him from being on any UA owned, controlled or rented property.