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Police Beat

By Liz Dailey
Arizona Daily Wildcat
January 29, 1999
Send comments to:
letters@wildcat.arizona.edu

A student allegedly considering suicide was taken to University Medical Center Wednesday morning, police reports stated.

Officers went to a student's room in Coronado Hall, 822 E. Fifth St., after an assistant hall director called police at 1:35 a.m.

The student told police he had attempted suicide during Christmas break and was consulting mental health staff on campus, reports stated.

The student said he stood on the ledge of his dorm room that morning and "thought about it (suicide)," reports stated.

The Mobile Acute Crisis Team came and assessed the student's health. He then agreed to admit himself into UMC, 1501 N. Campbell Ave.


A student was arrested after attempting to steal two key chains Wednesday afternoon.

A security guard at the UA Bookstore, 1209 E. University Blvd., saw Michael Martinez Becenti, 22, walk into the store at 1:18 p.m.

Becenti approached the cash register carrying a textbook and two key chains, which were valued at $5.90, police reports stated.

The student left the textbook on the counter after speaking with a cashier. He attempted to walk out of the store with the key chains in hand, but was apprehended by a security guard.

The guard took Becenti, of the 200 block of South Kolb Road, to a second floor office and called UAPD.

Becenti told police he came to the store to buy a book for his Civil Engineering 214 class. He noticed the key chains as he was walking toward the textbooks, reports stated.

Becenti told officers he paused at the rack after picking up the book and picked out key chains bearing the names "Michael" and "Karen."

The student said he peeled off the price tags while he was waiting in line for the cash register, reports stated.

He said that what he did was wrong and told police he had an aunt by the name of Karen, reports stated.

Becenti was cited and released. Police told him if he returned to the bookstore, he would be arrested for trespassing.


A student called police Wednesday afternoon to report a man on the UA Mall selling magazines.

She told officers the man approached her Monday at 10 p.m. as she was walking to her car in the Cherry Avenue garage, police reports stated.

The student told the man she did not want to purchase a magazine from him and walked away.

She said the man followed her, but she was able to get into her car without any incident, reports stated.

The woman was unable to provide police with any description of the man.


A UA Bookstore employee called police Wednesday morning after a man ran out of the store with stolen items, police reports stated.

A man wearing a white baseball cap, blue jean shorts and a gray, white and black striped shirt entered the store, 1209 E. University Blvd., at 10:53 a.m., the employee said.

In his written statement, the employee said the man picked up two lead pencils before he walked downstairs to the textbook area.

The man "then began to curse out loud and make a scene because he could not find what he was looking for," reports stated.

He picked up a blue ruler, walked around the corner and emerged with the items no longer in his hands, reports stated.

The suspect then hurried to the front of the store and was confronted by the employee, who grabbed him by the front of the shirt.

The man broke free of the employee's grasp and ran south through the UA Mall, reports stated.

The employee did not pursue the man because of bookstore safety policy.


A student called police Wednesday evening after someone attempted to break into her car.

The student told police she parked her black Honda CRX at 6 p.m. on the east side of the Student Recreation Center, 1400 E. Sixth St. When she returned at 11:50 p.m., the passenger side window of her car was broken, police reports stated.

Police found a small rock on her car floor, a broken door handle and a dent in the door.

The student told police nothing was stolen from the car. A search for fingerprints was unsuccessful, reports stated.


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