Battle of the bush

A UA student was diverted to the Dean of Students Office on Sept. 6 for a minor in possession of alcohol.

Two University of Arizona Police Department officers were driving eastbound on Second Street near Highland Avenue when they noticed a man walking southbound by the Second Street Parking Garage and the Education building. The man seemed to be stumbling slightly.

The officers turned into the bike paths to talk to the man, when he stepped off the sidewalk and partially concealed himself behind a bush.

The officers pulled up to the man and asked if he had stepped behind the bush to urinate. He said he had, but had not begun to urinate.

The man identified himself with an ID card, and the officers noted that they could smell an odor of intoxicants from his breath and person, in addition to him having red, watery eyes. The man said he had consumed alcohol earlier in the evening, having had around four or five beers at an off-campus party. He said he could not remember where the party was, but recalled that alcohol had been served.

The officers read the man his admonition of rights and he was asked if he understood his rights. The man told the officer he did and continued to say that he did not feel unwell and was capable of walking to his residence hall.

The student was then diverted through the Dean of Students Office for a minor in possession of alcohol.

A Series of Unfortunate Events

A UAPD officer was dispatched to the UA Bookstore on Sept. 6 in response to a shoplifter being held in the bookstore security’s custody.

Security staff members informed the officer that the shoplifter had taken electronic items off the shelf and had placed them in his backpack. The items consisted of a Beats Electronics Pill speaker valued at $199.99 and a pair of headphones valued at $99.99, with stickers identifying the prices of the objects.

The man had identified himself verbally to the bookstore security. The security staff members, however, told the officer that they believed the information was falsified and the man was withholding information.

The officer handcuffed the man and sat him down to interview him. The man once again identified himself with new information that was confirmed through the UA student directory.

The officer asked the man why he gave the security staff false information. The man said, “I was just really nervous and panicked.”

The man was read his Miranda rights and asked if he understood them, to which he said he did.

The man told the officer that he had previously owned the same type of items he was stealing, but they had been stolen out of his dorm room four days prior. He told the officer he was angry, wanted the items back and resolved to take them from the bookstore.

The man confirmed he had taken the two items and placed them in his backpack. The headphones were out of the box and the man said they were on a shelf near the textbooks.

The man was arrested for shoplifting under $1,000 and then referred to the Dean of Students Office for a code of conduct violation.