The hot dog stand outside of the Harvill building had its tip jar stolen on Jan. 25 around 2 p.m.
A University of Arizona Police Department officer arrived at the stand, where two workers informed him they left the jar alone for approximately five minutes.
The workers estimated the tips in the jar amounted to about $40, most of it in one dollar bills.
The workers told the officer they suspected a man in a wheelchair as the one who took the jar since he was the only person in the area at the time. The man had told the workers he was looking around the counter for a coin he had lost.
The officer found someone matching the suspect’s description in the area. The officer began to approach the man, who began to move hastily through the crowd.
The officer caught up with him on University Boulevard. The officer explained why he was stopping the man.
The man denied involvement in the theft and allowed the officer to search his belongings. He had several coins on him, as well as a large amount of one dollar bills in his right front pocket.
One of the workers identified the man as the person who had been hanging around the stand. The man explained to the officer that he had been looking for his lost coin.
No direct evidence tied the man to the theft, so he was released from the scene.
RELATED: POLICE BEAT 01/31/18: Jeepers, a creeper!
Puppy Problems
A UA student contacted UAPD on Jan. 23 to report a scam regarding a French bulldog puppy she ordered online.
The student reported that she wanted to purchase a puppy, so she searched online and found the website www.smartminifrenchbulies.com. An apparent seller from the website contacted the student to facilitate the purchase of a puppy.
The student decided to go forward with her plan to purchase a dog. The seller sent her a contract via email on Jan. 18. The puppy was to be shipped from Texas by plane.
The total cost of the puppy plus shipping would be $650. The student was to pay $350 up-front and pay the remainder of the balance upon delivery of the puppy.
The seller instructed the student to send money via a Walmart-to-Walmart transfer. When the student could not complete the transfer, she used moneygram.com instead.
After the first payment, the seller requested $400 more due to insurance issues. The student complied.
The seller then requested an additional $300 so the puppy could get its shots. The student did not send this money, as she now suspected it was a scam.
The other payments had already been withdrawn from the student’s account.
The officer was unable to contact the owners of Smart Mini Frenchies. According to the officer, multiple other scams had been associated with the website in the past.
Follow Vanessa Ontiveros on Twitter
