Police Beat

By Joseph Altman Jr.

Arizona Daily Wildcat

A Gary Fischer 21-speed men's mountain bike was reported stolen Thursday.

A student reported he locked his bike to a rack on the north side of the Drama Building, 1025 N. Olive Ave., at 7 p.m. When he returned at 7:45 p.m., the bike, and the U-lock it was locked with, were gone.

The bicycle and lock are valued at $540.

Police have no suspects.

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A student reported her personal organizer was stolen during a class Thursday.

The Day-Runner organizer, which contained credit cards, identification cards, blank checks and $4, was reportedly taken from Room 350 of the Modern Languages Building between 11:45 and 11:48 a.m.

The victim reported that as people were leaving the classroom, she left the organizer on her seat as she went to the front of the class. At the same time, she noticed that the female sitting in the seat next to her was not leaving, which the victim thought was strange. When the victim came back to her seat, the female and the organizer were gone.

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Police responded to Coronado Residence Hall, 822 E. Fifth St., Aug. 29, in response to two reports of drugs and paraphernalia in a student's room there.

At 9:36 p.m., police received a call from a person identifying himself as Joe Goldberg, a resident assistant on the seventh floor. The caller said he saw drug paraphernalia in a student's room.

Upon arrival, an officer met with one of the hall's graduate hall directors, who said there was no RA at Coronado by the name of Joe Goldberg.

UAPD went upstairs to the suspected room on the seventh floor, but no lights were on inside, and the officers went back on patrol.

At 10:20 p.m. the same night, dispatch received another call from the same caller wondering if police were going to respond.

Two officers arrived and located a male resident in the lobby who admitted to calling the University of Arizona Police Department both times. He said he identified himself as an RA because he wanted to remain anonymous.

He was told that giving false information is a crime, but was not arrested.

The hall director then contacted an RA on the seventh floor, and the RA was told to call UAPD when the residents of the suspected room arrived.

Police also received another call from "Joe Goldberg" on Aug. 26, reporting the smell of marijuana coming from the room. That report was not substantiated.

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Police arrested three people at Coronado Hall Aug. 27 after a resident assistant reported smelling marijuana coming from a student's room.

Mark R. Pepping, 19, a Coronado resident, was arrested on charges of possession of a dangerous drug, possession and use of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia. Michael P. Hester, 19, of the 1400 block of East Fourth Street, was charged with use of marijuana and possession of a fictitious license, and Steven S. Wayne, of the 1800 block of East Blacklidge Road, was charged with use of marijuana and giving false information to a police officer.

When an officer arrived, he could smell the odor of burnt marijuana coming from cracks around the room's door. The occupants of the room refused to open the door for the officer, and the officer used his key to enter the room.

A brown water bong was seen on a filing cabinet in plain view, and there was a strong odor of burnt marijuana.

When police asked Pepping if any drugs were in the room, he produced a bag containing a dried mushroom.

After obtaining Pepping's permission to search the room, police also discovered fireworks, a stiletto knife and a bag containing a "green plant substance" that Pepping said was marijuana.

Pepping was booked into Pima County Jail. Hester and Wayne were cited and released.

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