2008 Woodie Awards
Former student charged with theft
UAPD
Jack Willems
Issue date: 4/11/08 Section: News
A former UA student was arrested on campus Monday by the UA Police Department on charges of burglary and theft of property, a UAPD spokesman said.
Alexander Mark Johnson, 20, is in police custody at the Washington County Detention Center, said Lt. Gary Crain, UAPD public information officer.
Johnson is accused of coming onto campus and randomly stealing items that had been left unattended, Crain said.
"He felt very comfortable walking into buildings and taking things that had been left behind," he said.
UAPD has evidence Johnson stole a backpack from the Plant Sciences Building, two backpacks from the Arkansas Union, two backpacks from Mullins Library and items from the Chemistry Building.
The earliest crime police have proof Johnson committed occurred March 20, and they also have evidence he stole items March 24, March 26, March 31 and April 1, Crain said.
While police have evidence Johnson stole two items April 1, there were six reports of burglary and property theft that day, and he also might be responsible for those thefts, Crain said.
"We have proof he did two of them, and we are thinking he will admit to the rest," he said.
This case of theft was unique because the perpetrator continued to come back to campus and steal things, which increased his chances of being caught, Crain said.
To avoid this type of burglary, students should keep their things locked up or not leave them unattended, he said.
"These were all crimes of opportunity," he said. "This person came onto campus with the intention to steal things that were lying around."
UAPD received 81 reports of burglary last year and 23 reports this year.
The number of burglary reports law enforcement received in the first half of 2007 decreased 1.2 percent from the previous year in cities with populations between 50,000 and 99,999, according to the FBI Web site. Overall, reports of burglary decreased 1.3 percent.
Alexander Mark Johnson, 20, is in police custody at the Washington County Detention Center, said Lt. Gary Crain, UAPD public information officer.
Johnson is accused of coming onto campus and randomly stealing items that had been left unattended, Crain said.
"He felt very comfortable walking into buildings and taking things that had been left behind," he said.
UAPD has evidence Johnson stole a backpack from the Plant Sciences Building, two backpacks from the Arkansas Union, two backpacks from Mullins Library and items from the Chemistry Building.
The earliest crime police have proof Johnson committed occurred March 20, and they also have evidence he stole items March 24, March 26, March 31 and April 1, Crain said.
While police have evidence Johnson stole two items April 1, there were six reports of burglary and property theft that day, and he also might be responsible for those thefts, Crain said.
"We have proof he did two of them, and we are thinking he will admit to the rest," he said.
This case of theft was unique because the perpetrator continued to come back to campus and steal things, which increased his chances of being caught, Crain said.
To avoid this type of burglary, students should keep their things locked up or not leave them unattended, he said.
"These were all crimes of opportunity," he said. "This person came onto campus with the intention to steal things that were lying around."
UAPD received 81 reports of burglary last year and 23 reports this year.
The number of burglary reports law enforcement received in the first half of 2007 decreased 1.2 percent from the previous year in cities with populations between 50,000 and 99,999, according to the FBI Web site. Overall, reports of burglary decreased 1.3 percent.
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