Since Thursday, Jan. 26, the Marquette University Police Department has reported eight incidents of theft from a motor vehicle, with losses and damages totaling almost $1,500.
Nobody affiliated with Marquette was a perpetrator of any of the incidents, according to MUPD. So far, two arrests have been made.
The first arrest came Sunday night when a public safety officer reported that a person was walking around and looking into car windows in Structure One on 16th Street. The person was taken into custody, cited on a prowling violation and released.
The second arrest came Monday, Jan. 30. “My officers got a guy yesterday in process,” MUPD Captain Jeff Kranz said. “His partner fled, and a search is underway.”
The incident was near Wisconsin Avenue and 20th Street. A Marquette student called in the theft as it was happening, updated officers over the phone throughout the incident and was able to identify the subject upon police arrival.
“We had a report of an entry in progress, and we were able to locate one of the primary suspects in it, and take that subject into custody,” officer Brian Larson said, who was on the scene of the arrest. “We’re still working on the investigation now. Hopefully we’ll get a charge off of it.”
Kranz said it is usually hard to make arrests regarding theft from motor vehicle incidents because they happen so quickly. He also said he advises students to lock their vehicles and take valuables with them or hide them well.
“They’re looking for stuff they can turnover quick, like electronics,” Kranz said. “The guy we got Monday, we also got the van that he was using with a pile full of property inside … we’re trying to figure out where he got all that.”
