Nelson couch capers caught

The Department of Campus Safety (DCS) has identified two students responsible for throwing two lounge couches out of a third floor window in Nelson Residence Hall on March 31.

In the case, the couches were thrown from Nelson onto the courtyard below, causing $2,000 in damages, according to Campus Safety spokesman Sgt. Stephen Banet. Materials were also ripped off of two bulletin boards in the lounge, causing minor damage to the wall.

According to Banet, DCS was able to identify the students responsible using surveillance cameras located in the elevator. In investigator review of the footage, two students were seen getting out of the elevator and ripping materials off of the bulletin boards located in the lounge.

Assistant Director of Student Conduct Adam Brown said both students were also linked to another incident which occurred in Nelson later in the same evening where a fire extinguisher was set off in the north parking lot at approximately 4:50 a.m., causing the evacuation of Nelson Hall.

Brown said both students went through a formal hearing process with Student Conduct, and are paying restitution for the damage as well as writing letters of apology to the Nelson staff. Brown also said both students have been temporarily suspended from the university.The student’s case was also handled by HRE.

Suspect behind Ritchie thefts arrested  

The suspect behind multiple recent thefts of items in the Ritchie Center Gym was caught by Department of Campus Safety (DCS) officers while the suspect was playing basketball on campus last Thursday, March 2.

According to Campus Safety spokesman Stephen Banet, the suspect is Mark Johnson, a 19-year-old from the Denver area. Johnson was sighted on DCS cameras stealing objects from the Ritchie Center cubbies on April 14.

When searched by Campus Safety officers, Johnson was found in possession of a student RTD pass reported stolen from the Ritchie center earlier in the day. He was also found in possession of illegal narcotics, and was trespassed from campus by the Denver Police Department.

Johnson has been charged with one count of control and possession of substance, two counts of theft and two counts of trespassing, according to Banet.

According to Banet, officials found Johnson when a Ritchie staff member called DCS to report an individual who looked similar to him playing basketball on the basketball court outside of Centennial Halls. The staff member recognized Johnson by images captured by surveillance videos and circulated to Ritchie staff in informational forms made by DCS.

“We get patters of theft (in the Ritchie Gym) periodically,” said Banet. “What is going to help is the surveillance system.”

Banet said four more cameras were recently added to the Coors Fitness Center, making a total of 20 in the area.
Anyone with information on this or other crimes may call the Department of Campus Safety at 303-871-2334.