A UA employee was honored Thursday by police for aiding in the apprehension of two men stealing items from a car, one who had suspected involvement in a brutal murder last year.
Marvin Landis, a scientific visualization specialist for the Center for Computing and Information Technology, called police after witnessing suspicious activity in a Zone 1 lot, 1151 N. Vine Ave., from his office window, reports stated.
Landis looked out the window and saw a car stopped behind parked cars. The passengers got out of the car and began taking property out of one of the cars, Landis said.
"At this point I was pretty sure something was wrong," Landis said.
He was too far away to see the license plate, but remembered he had brought his digital camera with him to work, Landis said.
Landis took two pictures of the suspects' car and hoped one of the pictures would catch the license plate number, Landis said.
He was more aware of suspicious activity in the parking lot from a previous Campus Watch alert for auto theft put out by the University of Arizona Police Department, Landis said.
"He is a poster child for Campus Watch success story," said Sgt. Eugene Mejia, UAPD spokesman.
Landis called police and was able to provide them with the photos he had taken of the car, Landis said.
Tucson Police Department later found the car and suspects involved in the theft, Mejia said.
UAPD questioned the suspects and charged them with felonies, reports stated.
One of the suspects Landis helped to apprehend was identified as a suspect in a violent homicide last year where a victim was burned alive, Mejia said.
The help Landis gave was more important than just helping in the arrest of two car burglars, but he ultimately helped get a violent criminal off the street, Mejia said.
"I was lucky I had my camera that day," Landis said.
Mejia said Landis did exactly what any community member should do if they see suspicious activity.
"Don't involve yourself, but be a good observer," said Mejia.
"A Current Affair" thought Landis' story was important for the nation to hear and filmed a segment on his story at the UAPD station yesterday, Mejia said.