By Bryon Wells
Arizona Daily Wildcat
April 28, 1998

Police Beat

University police arrested a Phoenix man on a drunken driving charge early Sunday after he tried to drive in reverse gear through the drive-thru at a Taco Bell restaurant, 1818 E. Speedway Blvd.

Police received a 911 call at 2:16 a.m. from a man at a neighboring fraternity house who said a fight was brewing between the drivers of two vehicles at the restaurant, police reports stated.

Officers arrived minutes later and saw a brown 1984 Toyota Land Cruiser, then spoke to the driver, who identified himself as Brian T. Hammond, 18, of Phoenix, reports stated.

When asked why he tried to drive his truck through the drive-thru backwards, Hammond told the officer he was "cut off the roadway."

Hammond also said he accidentally hit the driver ahead of him in line and paid him $50 to avoid a fight, reports stated.

An officer then noticed a strong odor of alcohol on Hammond's breath.

Hammond told police he had not been drinking alcohol and told the officer to "do what you gotta do" when asked whether he would participate in tests to determine if he was drunk.

Hammond told police he had just come from a party with his three passengers and did not know what time it was or where he was, telling the officer he was at "Speedway and fuckin' wherever," reports stated.

Police searched his vehicle and found several full and empty Bud Light beer cans and about 9.3 grams of suspected marijuana, reports stated.

One of the passengers, Chase C. Payne, 19, of Tempe, claimed the substance was his and was arrested on a charge of possession of marijuana, reports stated.

Payne was taken to university police headquarters along with Hammond, whose blood-alcohol content was determined to be at .247 and .259 percent in separate tests, reports stated.

Hammond was arrested on charges of DUI with a blood-alcohol level greater than .10 percent and a minor operating a vehicle with liquor in the body, reports stated.

Both men were taken to the Pima County Jail, where they were later released.

University police arrested a young man Friday on multiple charges after noticing him driving with his car's headlights off near East Eighth Street and North Campbell Avenue.

An officer spotted the late model Buick sedan driving in front of him on Campbell Avenue about 10:31 p.m., police reports stated.

As the vehicle turned right onto Eighth Street, the officer noticed a plume of smoke coming from the passenger-side window and saw the driver flick something that resembled a marijuana cigarette from the window, reports stated.

The officer had his windows rolled down and realized the cloud smelled like marijuana smoke, reports stated.

The driver first told the officer his name was Jesus Urquijo, then Juan Loya, and then correctly identified himself as Juan M. Felix, 17, of the 3300 block of East Third Street, after records checks indicated he had been using fictitious names, reports stated.

The check also indicated Felix had a warrant from the Juvenile Department of Corrections for violating parole, reports stated.

Felix was arrested on a charge of false reporting to law enforcement agencies and then taken to the Pima County Jail, where the warrant was served.

Police arrested a Tucson man for a drug-related warrant Saturday while looking for a man involved in an earlier assault near a UA fraternity house.

Police received a report at 10:45 p.m. that a student had been hit in the face by the driver of an early model Chrysler sedan after confronting him about speeding through a parking lot near the Delta Chi house, 1701 E. First St.

An officer later stopped four men riding in a white 1977 Cadillac four-door sedan near South Kino Boulevard and East Winsett Street at 11:51 p.m., although the assailant was described as driving alone in a gold or silver four-door Chrysler sedan.

Police handcuffed the four men as witnesses drove by with other officers. The witnesses could not identify the man who had hit the student earlier, reports stated.

A check, however, indicated that the driver of the Cadillac, Hoseas A. Minnieweather, 19, of the 4700 block of South Campbell Avenue, had a warrant for failure to appear in court on a charge of selling narcotics, police reports stated.

Minnieweather was taken to the Pima County Jail, where he was later released.

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