By Alicia A. Caldwell
Arizona Daily Wildcat
December 10, 1997

Police Beat

University police arrested three students on drug charges Sunday after they were seen smoking on the southeast side of Apache-Santa Cruz Residence Hall, 1420 E. Fifth St.

A resident assistant called police after she saw Nicholas Kameron, 18, Daniel Francis, 18, and Kevin Lincoln, 20, all hall residents, smoking what she believed to be marijuana on the southeast sidewalk about 5:20 p.m., police reports stated.

The RA told officers she saw the three men enter the building and then lost sight of them, police reports stated.

According to police reports, officers went into the dorm and began checking each floor for the men. The RA identified two men going into a third-floor restroom, police reports stated.

Officers reportedly asked Lincoln and Kameron if they had been outside and they said no, police reports stated.

Lincoln reportedly then told officers, "OK, we were outside smoking dope."

Both told officers they did not know who the third person was, police reports stated.

The RA later identified Francis as the third while he was walking down the hall, police reports stated.

Francis reportedly told officers he knew Lincoln and Kameron.

Francis, Lincoln and Kameron all told officers they shared a "joint" outside the residence hall, police reports stated.

Officers asked the three if they had any more marijuana or paraphernalia and Francis said yes, police reports stated.

Francis gave officers a silver pipe from his jacket, and Lincoln told officers he had marijuana in his room, police reports stated.

Francis was cited on marijuana possession and drug paraphernalia possession charges and Kameron was cited on charges of marijuana possession and false reporting to police. Lincoln was cited on charges of marijuana possession, use of drug paraphernalia and false reporting to police.

The three were released at the scene.

An 18-year-old student was arrested on drug charges after a resident assistant in Coronado Residence Hall, 822 E. Fifth St., smelled marijuana smoke coming from the student's room.

Officers went to Coronado's fourth floor about 1:40 a.m. and saw Jeffrey Cohen, a Coronado resident, outside the room.

Cohen opened the door and officers smelled burning marijuana coming from the room, police reports stated.

Officers asked if they could enter the room and someone in the room said, "Yeah, c'mon in," police reports stated. All five people in the room told officers they were not smoking marijuana, police reports stated.

Cohen tried to hide something in his jacket pocket when officers entered the room, police reports stated. When police asked him to open his jacket, a small blue and brown pipe fell on the bed, reports stated.

When officers asked Cohen to empty his pockets, he pulled out a bag of suspected marijuana and told officers the bag was his, police reports stated.

Cohen was cited on marijuana possession and drug paraphernalia possession charges and released at the scene.

University police arrested a 22-year-old student on drug and weapons charges after they stopped the 1995 Ford Mustang he was driving for traffic violations.

Officers saw Brandon Vega make an illegal left turn from East Sixth Street to North Tyndall Avenue turn just before 11 p.m., police reports stated.

Officers stopped Vega on Tyndall just south of Sixth Street, and he told police he left his license at home and did not see the sign prohibiting left turns, police reports stated.

Vega's eyes were red and watery and officers smelled burnt marijuana coming from the inside of the car, police reports stated.

Vega reportedly handed officers a suspected marijuana "roach" cigarette when they asked if there was anything in the car they should know about. He said he smoked it by himself about 15 minutes before being stopped, police reports stated.

While searching Vega's car, officers found a .22-caliber pistol hidden under the console, police reports stated.

The loaded weapon was in reach of the driver's seat, and a box of .22-caliber ammunition was also found, police reports stated.

Vega told officers the gun was in the car for protection, police reports stated.

He was cited on charges of marijuana possession and carrying a concealed weapon and was released at the scene.

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