POLICE BEAT

According to police reports, Mitchell W. Petersen, 18, of a general delivery address, was seen sleeping in the doorway on the south side of the building at 9:20 a.m.

A bookstore employee told police he had told Petersen the previous day at 10:30 p.m. not to sleep in the doorway, reports stated.

Petersen was asleep in the same place in a sleeping bag the following day. The employee told police he wanted to press charges.

The officer cited and released Petersen.

Police arrested a Tucson man on suspicion of panhandling Thursday afternoon after he was seen asking pedestrians for money.

According to police reports, Michael X. Lappadura, 19, of a general delivery address, was on the corner of East First Street and North Park Avenue at 1:21 p.m. when police spotted him.

An officer spoke with a passing pedestrian and asked him if Lappadura had asked him for money. The pedestrian said he had, reports stated.

Police cited Lappadura and released him.

A student called police Thursday afternoon after her purse was stolen from Crowder Hall in the Music building, 1017 N. Olive Road.

According to police reports, the student told police she left her purse and violin case unattended at 2 p.m. while she rehearsed.

At 4 p.m. she returned to her belongings and realized her purse, with $100 inside, was gone, reports stated.

The student told police she found the purse a few minutes later in a room across the hall from where she had left it.

According to reports, her wallet with the money and a driver's license, was gone.

Officers arrested a Tucson man on suspicion of providing false information to police Thursday night after he gave them a fake name, police reports stated.

An officer pulled over Matthew R. Alter, 24, of the 700 block of East Blacklidge Drive, at 10:28 p.m. on the 700 block of East First Street.

The officer pulled Alter over because he suspected he was driving under the influence of alcohol. As the officer spoke with Alter, another officer arrived to assist.

According to reports, the second officer asked Alter his name, and he told him, "Richard Handen," and gave them a false date of birth.

Police, who could not find a record for that person, asked him his name again.

Alter told police he left his driver's license in New Jersey and then said his middle name was "John," and gave police a Social Security number, reports stated.

Police were still unable to locate any records, so they searched his car.

While one officer conducted the search, the other officer kept an eye on Alter, who, according to reports, appeared tense.

The other officer located a wallet in the car and showed it to Alter.

According to reports, Alter placed his hands behind his back, ready to be handcuffed.

He told police he lied about his name because he had a warrant out for writing bad checks and did not want to go to jail, reports stated.

Police were unable to find any information about a warrant. Alter was cited for false information and released.

A student called police Thursday afternoon after his backpack was stolen from the Memorial Student Union, 1303 E. University Blvd.

According to police reports, the student told police he went into the KAMP Student Radio studio at 4 p.m. to do his radio show.

He told officers he left his bag unattended on a desk and left the room. When he returned after his show at 5 p.m., his bag was gone.

An $80 Texas Instruments calculator, $90 compact disk player and a textbook titled Understanding Music Through Listening were inside the maroon Jansport.

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