By Bryon Wells
Arizona Daily Wildcat
March 25, 1998

Police Beat

University police responded to a fire alarm Monday to find a small fire that someone set in the southeast stairwell of Manzanita-Mohave Residence Hall, 1010 N. Park Ave.

Police arrived at 2:55 a.m. and found that the stairwell was full of smoke, which caused a smoke detector to sound a fire alarm to police headquarters, police reports stated.

Police found a burning pile of pencils and paper on the stairs but found nothing else damaged, reports stated.

Using fans, police were able to clear the smoke and residents were able to return to the building, reports stated.

The fire is considered to be arson, but so far police have no suspects.

A Tucson man and woman were arrested on suspicion of bicycle theft Monday after trying to sell a bike at Bargain Basement Bicycles, 428 N. Fremont Ave.

A university police officer was on patrol in the area of East Eighth Street and North Highland Avenue when he saw Nimar Silva, 32, and Elizabeth R. Wilson, 28, both of the 3600 block of North Campbell Avenue, walking with a red bicycle, police reports stated.

The officer, who works part time at Bargain Basement, recognized Silva and Wilson because they sold a green Diamondback bicycle and ladies' mountain bike to the shop on March 15, reports stated.

Silva used another person's driver license to sell the bikes, which he told police he found in a wallet, adding that he took the red bicycle they were pushing from an apartment complex at North Mountain Avenue and East 10th Street, reports stated.

Silva also had several tools in his backpack, including cable cutters, a file and pliers, reports stated.

Silva was arrested and booked into Pima County Jail on charges of theft, violation of promise to appear, trafficking in stolen property and false reporting to law enforcement agencies.

Wilson was arrested on theft charges. The Diamondback and ladies' mountain bikes Silva and Wilson sold to Bargain Basement Bicycles were returned to their owner.

A female student called university police Monday after walking past a man masturbating in his car parked in the lot north of Coronado Residence Hall, 822 E. Fifth St.

The student told police she parked her car in the lot about 10:30 a.m. and was walking to class when she saw a man with his pants around his ankles sitting in a late-model brown car, police reports stated.

The student told police she didn't make eye contact with the man, but noticed that he had his penis in his hand, reports stated.

Police escorted her back to the lot about 11 a.m., but found no vehicle fitting the description she gave them. Police searching the surrounding area were also unable to find the vehicle, reports stated.

University police Sunday responded to a Tucson Police Department report of a man being shot at while hiking at UA-owned Tumamoc Hill, 1700 W. Anklam Road.

The man told police he was hiking on the southwest side of the hill, near North Greasewood Road, between 4 and 6 p.m. He added that he heard several shots fired at him during his trek, possibly from a rifle, reports stated.

Another person in the area also reported hearing a noise resembling gunshots coming from the lower desert area along north and west side of the hill, reports stated.

Police searched the area with binoculars but found no signs of unusual activity in the brush, nor did they find evidence of spent ammunition or bullet impact in the area, reports stated.

The man declined an escort to retrieve the backpack he ditched about 30 minutes down trail, but agreed to call university police headquarters when he returned safely with his belongings, reports stated.

Police also reminded the man that the hill is UA property and that he should not be hiking or living there, reports stated.

A student told university police somebody stole his television from the Zeta Beta Tau fraternity house, 1011 N. Tyndall Road.

Somebody broke the house's living room window during spring break and stole the student's $385 TV but left other valuables, police reports stated.

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