By Keith J. Allen
Arizona Daily Wildcat
January 15, 1997

Police Beat

According to police reports, at 11:35 p.m., police witnessed a 1996 Chevrolet S-10 pickup make an illegal left turn from westbound East Sixth Street onto North Tyndall Avenue. According to police reports, the driver also failed to stop at two stop signs and turned off his headlights when the officer turned on his overhead lights. The pickup then stopped near the intersection of East Florita Street and North Park Avenue.

The driver, David G. Arana, 20, of the 1300 block of East Water Street, got out of the pickup and approached the police vehicle. The officer told Arana not to approach the police vehicle.

After being asked if he had been drinking, Arana said he had not. Police reports stated Arana had the "strong odor of alcoholic beverage from the mouth" and "red, watery, bloodshot eyes."

Police reports stated that after the officer told Arana he did not believe he was sober, Arana changed his story and said he had a "couple of beers at a friend's house."

Arana was then arrested for being a minor operating a motor vehicle with alcohol in his body and was transported to police headquarters.

At police headquarters, police found a fake Louisiana driver's license in Arana's wallet. According to police reports, Arana told officers he used the license to "get into bars."

Two intoxilyzer tests showed Arana's blood alcohol content measured .135 and .154.

Arana was cited on charges of failure to obey a traffic control device, failure to stop at a stop sign, minor operating a motor vehicle with alcohol in the body, using fraudulent identification to obtain alcohol, DUI physical control, failure to stop a vehicle on the command of a police officer and DUI physical control with blood alcohol content of .10 or more.

He was cited and released to a friend.

A male student reported his foot was run over by a bicyclist Monday.

The student told police a female bicyclist rode on the sidewalk in front of Centennial Hall, 1020 E. University Blvd., between 1:08 and 1:12 p.m. and ran over his left foot without stopping.

According to police reports, the student said he yelled something at the bicyclist like "hey now."

The student was not injured and was advised to call police if he saw the bicyclist so they could talk to her about operating on the sidewalk and colliding with pedestrians.

A Tucson man was arrested Saturday on DUI charges after he almost hit six pedestrians in a crosswalk at North Euclid Avenue and East University Boulevard, police reports stated.

At 11:27 p.m., university police witnessed a 1980 Buick sedan turn right onto University Boulevard and fail to yield to six pedestrians in the crosswalk. The vehicle then drove over the northwest curb of the intersection with its right wheel and tire and continued westbound on University Boulevard, police reports stated.

Police stopped the driver and asked for driver's license, proof of insurance and registration.

The driver, Philip L. Vavricka, 25, of the 3000 block of North Stone Avenue, told police he could not present the information because it was in a "green bag" that he did not have with him.

Vavricka admitted to police he had been drinking and stepped out of the vehicle, police reports stated.

After he stepped out, police saw the green bag Vavricka had mentioned in the passenger seat of the vehicle. Vavricka told police the bag contained the information that had been asked for.

After performing a voluntary field sobriety test, Vavricka was placed under arrest. According to police reports, Vavricka had the "odor of an intoxicating beverage emitting from his breath and person."

While police secured the vehicle, they found a glass filled with alcohol in the car.

Two intoxilyzer tests showed Vavricka had a blood alcohol content of .147 and .139.

Vavricka was cited on charges of DUI, DUI with blood alcohol content of .10 or more and failure to yield to pedestrians in crosswalk. He was released from police headquarters.

Police Beat is compiled from official University of Arizona Police Department reports.