Police Beat: An arrest at Flats, stolen card and a hit and run in Lot 53

Hayley Simonson

Two Males Arrested at the Flats for Possession of Marijuana 

Early evening on March 19, UPD was dispatched to the UNF flats apartment after a resident reported two males displaying questionable behavior after allegedly knocking on numerous doors of the complex.

Officers arrived on scene and approached the suspect’s vehicle. According to UPD, the vehicle tried to drive off but was stopped at a traffic stop. The driver of the vehicle exited the vehicle and was unable to show a driver’s license. According to officers, they detained the suspect driving the vehicle, while identifying the suspect located in the front seat passenger side.  Officers said that they then noticed a strong smell of marijuana coming from the vehicle. 

Both suspects stated they did not live in the apartment complex nor did they attend UNF. According to officers, their stories about why they were at the Flats did not correlate together. A search warrant was approved for the vehicle. According to UPD, they found a .40 caliber semi-automatic handgun and several canisters of marijuana. 

It was found by UPD, that the driver of the vehicle had a previous felony warrant from Orlando for aggravated assault with a firearm. He claimed that he had a medical marijuana card he left at home in Orlando, while the front-seat passenger denied having known about the marijuana. 

Both suspects were arrested and transported to the police department where the evidence was seized and put in a JSO property room. The two suspects were banned from the Flats and notified that they would be arrested if they returned. 

Card stolen in the Science and Engineering Building

On March 13, a UPD officer responded to a call in reference to a theft. UNF student reported that she noticed her card hold missing after she was leaving her class upon dismissal in building 50.

According to the student, she went back into the classroom to look for it. She did not find it and when she asked her professor if he had seen it, he said no. The student then called the credit card companies to cancel her cards. She made sure to check lost and found, but it was not there. 

No photographic evidence was gathered and since the stolen item was not reported until eight days later, it makes it difficult to investigate. 

When asked if she wanted to press charges if the suspect was located she declined. 

 A Hit and Run in LOT 53 

On Feb. 18, a UPD officer was dispatched to LOT 53 after a hit and run incident was reported. When he arrived, the victim of the accident said that his coworker had called him to notify him that his right fender was damaged after a dumpster company hit his vehicle with a dumpster they were picking up.  

According to the witness, the victim’s coworker, he did not see the accident happen. He heard the dumpster being picked up, looked over, and saw the driver of the dumpster truck look at the damaged fender before looking around and then leaving. 

The officer located the driver of the dumpster. He came to the UNF police department and denied hitting or damaging the vehicle. He said the dumpster he picked up was close to the vehicle, but that he did not hit the vehicle. 

There were no cameras in the area where the incident occurred and no other witnesses. It did not appear that criminal intent was involved so the investigation could not be pursued any further. 

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