Photos courtesy of UAPD UAPD is looking for assistance from the community in identifying these men, who may be involved with burglaries that have occurred at the Physics and Atmospheric Sciences building. If you have information on either of the males depicted, please call 621-UAPD or 88-CRIME.

Suspects stole more than $10,000 in computer equipment

Three thefts that occurred within a one-month period at a campus building have been linked to two suspects, UAPD officials said.

The two suspects allegedly stole more than $10,000 worth of equipment from the fifth floor of the Physics and Atmospheric Sciences Building, 1118 E. Fourth St.

The latest theft occurred just before 2 a.m. Thursday and was filmed by a security camera placed at an undisclosed location on the fifth floor.

The camera revealed two male suspects opening office doors on the fifth floor with a key and taking an aluminum briefcase that held a camera. The two also reportedly took a yellow jigsaw and a computer mouse.

Cyrus Jones, senior support system analyst for the Institute of Atmospheric Physics, said that in the other two incidents the suspects opened computers and virtually raided them of their components.

On March 28, more than $9,000 worth of equipment was stolen from the building, including a laptop computer, an LCD projector and a video camera.

The two suspects also allegedly stole video cards, hard drives, CD drives, sound cards, memory cards and a set of keys.

"They definitely know computers," Jones said.

The suspects allegedly raided another PAS computer on March 4, taking a CD drive, memory card, sound card and a computer speaker system.

University of Arizona Police Department Detective Juan Alvarez said the investigation has led detectives to believe that all three robberies were committed by the same people because the method the suspects used to enter the building and the items they allegedly took were similar.

Jones said the tape revealed that the suspects only took things they could conceal in their pockets or carry in their hands without raising any suspicion.

He also said locks on all office doors that are on the fifth floor have been changed since the incident last week.

Atmospheric sciences professor Ben Herman said the suspects raided his office on Thursday, but rather than taking any electronic equipment, they took only $30 worth of stamps.

"They probably didn't have any more room in their pockets," Herman said.

Jones said the department has had things stolen in the past, but not with the same consistency as in recent incidents.

On Dec. 3, 2001, a PAS employee called UAPD to repo t a $450 camera stolen from a closet. The employee told officers she locked the camera in the building's janitorial closet on Nov. 26, 2001, but when she returned to the closet the next day, the camera was gone.

Herman said that in August, a visiting professor had his laptop computer stolen the day he had arrived in the office.

"It's like they knew when he had gotten there," Herman said.

Jones said the occasional theft in any department on campus is normal.

"Every department has that (theft) problem; it's when (suspects) see the opportunity," he said. "But recently, things have just been way too similar."

Alvarez said he has a hunch that someone on campus will be able to recognize the two suspects, but he could not confirm whether they are students.

Anyone with information regarding the thefts should call 88-CRIME or 621-UAPD.