Within 44 minutes of first kidnapping attempt, second female victim also targeted; suspect released, arrested on other charges

Monday's failed attempted kidnapping of a UA student was one of two such campus-area incidents, the second occurring about 44 minutes after the first, UA police said.

At about 9:30 p.m. on Monday, a 23-year-old female student was the victim of an attempted kidnapping at North Euclid Avenue and East Elm Street. Then, at about 10:14 p.m., another female was the subject of another failed kidnapping at North Second Avenue and East University Boulevard, UA police reports stated.

"(Abduction attempts) are very uncommon," UAPD Commander Brian Seastone said. "Off the top of my head I don't recall any, probably in the last five to seven years."

Policed detained Zachary Reeder, 24, twice because he and the vehicle he was driving were similar to the descriptions the victims of the attempted kidnapping provided. The second time, at East University Boulevard and North Park Avenue, the University of Arizona Police Department arrested him on counts of use of drug paraphernalia, a second-degree failure to appear for criminal damage and a violation of a promise to appear for driving on a suspended license.

After the second report of an attempted abduction, at about 10:18, Reeder was detained and questioned by UAPD, because his vehicle and his physical features were similar to the description the first victim provided. According to the police report, Reeder's vehicle was seen by an officer going east on East University Boulevard then, as it passed North Tyndall Avenue, it quickly turned into a back-in parking space the wrong way and turned quickly, going south on North Tyndall Avenue.

The officer went east on East South Campus Drive and saw the vehicle go into the parking lot west of the Social Sciences Building. Reeder then went to the west entrance, only to find it locked. Reeder was then questioned by UAPD and released after the first victim "couldn't positively identify" Reeder as the suspect.

While Reeder was detained, however, UAPD discovered that Reeder had outstanding TPD warrants for traffic violations and having a suspended license.

About 30 minutes after Reeder was released, UAPD officers saw a printout of a TPD call regarding a similar incident at about 10:14 p.m. at North Second Avenue and East University Boulevard.

The description of the TPD suspect was "very close" to that of Reeder, including a blue shirt with a white stripe on it, police reports stated. Since the two cases were so close in distance and time, other UAPD officers were notified of where Reeder was last seen.

Reeder was arrested again at 11:41 p.m. UAPD officers noticed his arm and leg had blood on them, which Reeder said was from using a syringe to "shoot up cocaine," Reeder said, reports stated. Later when UAPD searched the vehicle, they found a black pipe with residue, a rolled joint and three used needles.

UAPD is still looking into the incidents.

It is not yet known if the second victim was a UA student, Seastone said.

The second victim was transported to UAPD, where she was interviewed and she looked at a suspect line-up.

Reeder was sent to Pima County Adult Detention Center early Tuesday morning, but was no longer listed among those held at the jail last night.

Seastone recommends that students who feel endangered use cell phones and whistles UAPD started giving out last semester to call for help.

"If approached by somebody, draw attention to yourself, do what ever you need to get away," Seastone said. "Cell phones, screaming, the whistles are good for this."