Police Beat
Tom Collins
Arizona Summer Wildcat
July 31, 1996
Police Beat
Tom Collins
Arizona Summer Wildcat
July 31, 1996
Monday, July 22Officers on patrol near the Main Gate Garage, 901 N. Tyndall Ave., arrested two non-students on drug charges.
Ron Towdy, 19, and River Potter, 21, both of general delivery addresses, were seen hidden between a utility box and a brick wall smoking a pipe.
When police approached, Towdy put a green and black metal pipe under his leg. Police asked for the pipe, which was still warm to the touch and had a residue that smelled like burned marijuana, according to police reports. Towdy's eyes were bloodshot and puffy.
Towdy had no identification and said he had just come from Holland. He said he had just found the pipe lying there.
He told police they should not be concerned with people "smoking a little weed."
Potter, whose eyes were also bloodshot, was searched, and police found a 2-inch pocket knife and a pipe part with residue that appeared to be marijuana. They also found a baggie with 28.8 grams of a "green leafy substance" in his left front shorts pocket.
Potter told police that "in California, the cops don't care about anybody smoking a little weed." He said, "We're not hurting anyone."
Potter was arrested on charges of possession/use of marijuana and possession/use of drug paraphernalia, and taken to Pima County Jail.
Towdy was arrested on charges of unlawful use of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia. He was taken to Pima County Jail.
When Towdy was searched at the jail, a bag with 27.7 grams of a "green leafy substance" was found in his shoe.
Tuesday, July 23'No Trespassing' signs warning of violent consequences were found on the Delta Tau Delta fraternity house, 1550 N. Vine Ave, at 9:30 a.m.
The signs, which stated, "Warning: This house is occupied. I am armed and I will not tolerate trespassers. I will shoot you," were on 8.5-by-11-inch pieces of white paper attached to the entryways of the house. They were discovered by a UA Risk Management safety officer.
A representative of the Delta Tau Delta Corp. said the house had been vandalized and was unoccupied. He had directed the summer caretaker to take steps to alleviate the problem.
Police tried, unsuccessfully, to contact the caretaker to explain better ways to deter vandalism.
A man entered the Administration Building, 1401 E. University Blvd., and began demanding money at 11:15 a.m.
The man told cashiers, "I'm so hungry. You'd be in a bad mood if you were starving too."
As he left the building, witnesses told police, he shouted "I'll be back, and I'll burn down this building."
Then, at 3:30 p.m., reports of suspicious activity brought police to the Forbes Building, 1140 S. Campus Drive.
A man had been pacing outside of an employee's office for 40 minutes.
The man said he was in the Forbes building doing research for a grant. He told police he had caused the disturbance in the Administration building that morning.
The man said he had not eaten because he had not received a Pell Grant he was expecting. He also told police he had forgotten to take his Thorazine that morning.
He was warned not to trespass in educational buildings.
Wednesday, July 24A university-owned house caught fire after a water heater malfunctioned.
University police were called to the unoccupied house, 1428 E. Seventh St., at 3:21 a.m. The house appeared to be burning from the basement area.
The fire was extinguished by the Tucson Fire Department.
Officials determined the fire was caused by a malfunctioning timer that was turning the water heater on with no water in it, creating a heat source on top of the heater.
According to police reports, either the heat got very intense and ignited the insulation above the heater, or an animal knocked insulation on top of the heat source. The incident did not appear to be caused by arson.
Thursday, July 25A natural gas leak, caused by a heavy equipment operator, brought police to a construction site in the 900 block of East Sixth Street.
Police evacuated Arizona-Sonora Residence Hall, 910 E. Fifth St., and secured the area around the leak until the Tucson Fire Department and Southwest Gas arrived.
A Gravel Express employee said he had hit the gas line with his Caterpillar tractor. He told police the area was not marked by the blue stakes which denote underground utility lines.
A dispute during a basketball game at the Student Recreation Center, 1400 E. Sixth St., ended in fisticuffs.
A non-student male contacted university police from the University Medical Center Emergency Room.
The man told police he had been playing basketball at 7:45 p.m. when he and another man argued over a traveling call. The men exchanged profanities before the other player asked if the man wanted to "make something of it." The man said he did not, and began to walk away, he told police.
As the man walked away, the other player punched him in the jaw. The man fell to the ground and lost consciousness briefly. Both men remained in the gymnasium until the game was over.
The man sought medical attention when the pain in his jaw persisted. His jaw turned out to be broken. The man told police he had seen the other player in the Recreation Center before, and would help them draw a composite sketch.
Monday, July 29A moped was stolen from outside the McKale Center, 1721 E. Enke Drive.
A male student parked his moped on the west side of the building at 9 a.m. When he returned at 11:30 a.m., the moped was not where he had parked it.
The student said he had locked the ignition and owed no money on the moped.
The value of the blue, 1993 Yamaha was unknown.
Police Beat is compiled from official University of Arizona Police Department reports.
Police Beat is compiled from official University of Arizona Police Department reports.If you enjoy Police Beat, then check out "Police Have No Suspects" on sale now!
