Student helps U. Police catch thief

If more days were like last Tuesday, University Police would be able to cut down on the crime that plagues campus the most: unattended property theft. It all started when University Police Officer John Newton arrested a man believed to be connected with several thefts from several campus buildings, University Police Detective Gary Heller said. Troy Weaver of 39th and Mount Vernon streets in West Philadelphia, was taken to Southwest Detectives and charged with theft, Heller said. The arrest may not have happened without the assistance of two civilians, however. Heller said the suspect was found in a Steinberg-Dietrich Hall computer lab by Officer Newton at about 1:30 p.m., without a PennCard. Weaver was first identified by a woman who said he had been in Steinberg-Dietrich when previous thefts had been committed, Heller said. Then a female student came to the computer lab and said that Weaver had her knapsack and scarf, which were stolen from her just moments before in Van Pelt Library. Heller said Weaver, in addition to having the student's property, had a student's credit card that had not yet been reported stolen. And this arrest may begin to stem the rising tide of thefts in Steinberg-Dietrich, Towne Building, and Vance Hall. But the arrest did not come soon enough for College junior Michelle Kay. She said her knapsack was stolen last Friday night as she worked in a Steinberg-Dietrich computer lab. Kay said that when she reached down to get something from her bag, she saw it was gone. But fortunately, Kay said her bag was found by University Police in Houston Hall, minus the $100 that was taken. "I was just happy my bag was back," she said. "If this is the worst thing, I'll deal with it. "Everyone just puts their bag at their feet and they don't hold onto it," Kay added. "The person who is doing this is pretty smart because he keeps getting people who aren't paying attention." Kay added that she has learned her lesson about guarding her property since the theft. "I've been [at Steinberg-Dietrich] every day since then, and I've held onto my bags ever since," she said, adding that if the security guards checked for identification more often, unattended property theft could be cut down.

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