Warrant arrest, possession of a controlled substance and possession of burglary tools near SRC
On the afternoon of Oct. 7, an officer was on patrol at A Lot near the tennis courts and the Student Residence Center, an area “recently subjected to a large number of property-related thefts,” according to a UNMPD report. A male was riding his bike and looking from left to right in the parking lot. When he saw officers in a marked patrol vehicle, he turned into the student housing area.
A black cylindrical item and a pair of yellow-handled wire cutters stuck out of the male’s pants pockets. He pedaled fast, appearing to try to escape from University of New Mexico Police Department officers. He was eventually out of sight. An officer saw him again with a female who the officer recognized as a suspect in recent thefts at the Student Union Building. The officer asked if they were students, staff or faculty — they said they were not. The male began sweating and hesitated to reply when the officer asked him why he rode away so quickly.
The male was asked twice before he eventually gave his correct name and date of birth. The officer handcuffed him and pat him down. The officer found a wallet, a flashlight, a window punch and the yellow-handled wire cutters. When asked if he had an ID, he said he never had one. When the officer handed the wallet back to the male, it opened, revealing a bag with two syringes and a crystal-like substance.
The officer told him there was enough information to arrest him. The officer ran the male’s information through the National Crime Information Center and found several outstanding warrants. The officer arrested the male, and the male said he planned on using the cutters and window punch to fix his bicycle, not to steal anything.
The female was identified, and her information on NCIC showed a trespass notification. She was released and escorted off campus.
When the officer returned to the station, the crystal-like substance found in the male’s wallet tested presumptive positive for methamphetamines. The male was taken to the Metropolitan Detention Center without incident. The items were tagged into evidence. A copy of the report will be sent to the Dean of Students Office.
Aggravated battery, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and aggravated battery at SUB
At 12:57 a.m. on Nov. 1, an officer was sent to the Student Union Building, because two males were involved in a physical fight, according to a police report. When the officer arrived, a custodian said while working in the SUB — which was already closed and locked — he heard noises outside the Grand Ballroom. The custodian entered the ballroom, which was being used for a blood drive, and saw a male handling equipment for the drive. He told the male to leave, but the male pulled out a pocket knife with a roughly 4-inch blade and exited the room. The employee chased the male out of the building, and the exterior door closed and locked behind both of them.
“The suspect closed on him, swinging the knife at him,” the report states. The employee said he picked up a metal patio chair to defend himself from the knife. He then dropped the chair and turned to run. The employee said the male picked up the chair and threw it, striking the employee in the back. The male then ran west. During the event, the male called the employee a “rapist” many times, the employee said. Police entered 12 photos into evidence.
At 10:10 p.m. the same day, the officer started a new shift and received a video and photos from the incident at the SUB. The officer reviewed the photos and video.
At 11:22 p.m., the officer was sent to Smith Plaza, because a male was attempting to rob another person. The officer saw a male matching the description of the robbery and the incident at the SUB, sitting south of the Humanities Building and eating a salad. The officer asked for back-up.
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After another officer arrived, one drew his taser, and one drew his duty weapon. The two approached the subject. Officers told him to stand and keep his hands in sight. One officer handcuffed him while the other stood in front of him with a taser. One officer recognized the male from previous incidents, and the male confirmed his identity. The officers searched him for weapons. The officers found a flashlight and two 3.5-inch knives. During the interaction with officers, the male called them “rapists” repeatedly. One officer told the male he was being arrested for violating a criminal trespass order form.
The male was taken to the Prisoner Transport Center without incident. When one of the officers returned to UNMPD, the officer placed the video and photo evidence from the incident at the SUB, the knives and the flashlight into evidence. Information was given to a detective. The victim from the incident at the SUB was told to meet with the detective for a photo lineup identification. There is nothing else to report at this time.
Simple assault at La Posada Dining Hall
On the afternoon of Nov. 1, an officer was sent to La Posada Dining Hall, because a person threatened an employee, according to a report. Officers searched the area before speaking with the caller, but they were unable to find the subject. An officer spoke with the victim, who said a male in his 40s with gray hair, a camouflage backpack and a blue windbreaker had entered the dining hall in the past, taking food without paying.
The victim said she saw him enter La Posada and confronted him. He ignored her and walked toward the serving area. She saw him eating food from dirty dishes and told him to leave. As he walked out the building, “he told her, ‘I hope you like your hands,’” the report states. The employee believed this was an assault against her and that the male meant he was going to cut off her hands.
The officer gave her some contact information and the appropriate case number. The officer asked that she request video surveillance and email it to them.
— Briefs compiled by Elizabeth Sanchez
