Phony permit prompts police to arrest student

By Ellie Schuckman
Staff Writer

• On Monday, Oct. 17, at approximately 3 a.m., while on vehicle patrol, a Campus Police officer observed a vehicle illegally parked in the Campus Town parking lot near Panera Bread. Further investigation revealed that the vehicle had a 2016-17 TCNJ resident apartment parking decal that was not issued to the vehicle or owner of that vehicle, police said. The decal was taped to the inside glass of the vehicle. The vehicle also had a permanently attached expired 2015-16 resident student parking decal that was also not issued to that vehicle. According to reports, TCNJ police dispatch located a possible driver of the vehicle. Both decals were issued to two different students, police said. Neither decal had been reported stolen or lost to Campus Police or Parking Services. At 10:05 a.m., an officer observed the vehicle in question parked illegally in a service vehicle space on E Street, near New Residence and Eickhoff halls. According to police, the officer then radioed for another officer to meet and ticket the vehicle. While waiting for the patrol to arrive, the driver of the vehicle arrived to the scene. The officer approached the student and identified himself. The officer explained that the student was parked illegally, to which the student responded that he was just parked for a few minutes to drop something off in his room in Eickhoff Hall. The officer asked if the student could tell him about his parking decal, police said. The student stated that the old decal was given to him by a friend, and the current one he made using another friend’s valid decal. According to reports, the officer told the student that it is illegal to reproduce parking permits and that he could face criminal charges. The officer asked the student to remove the false decals from his vehicle. According to police, the student removed the decals and handed them to the officer. The officer told the student that he would be contacting him in the near future. On Tuesday, Oct. 18, at approximately 10:55 a.m., an officer met with the student on the first floor of Bliss Hall. The officer informed the student that he was going to be charged with theft of services for duplicating a parking decal and using it to park on the College’s campus. He was placed under arrest, handcuffed, searched and transported to Campus Police Headquarters. He was issued a summons with a court date, police said.

• On Thursday, Oct. 13, at 1 p.m., a Campus Police officer was dispatched to the Education Building regarding an incident that occurred on Friday, Oct. 7. Upon the officer’s arrival, he met with a Career and Community Studies academic instructor who shared a story told to him by a student: On Friday, Oct. 7, while in the area of the Brower Student Center, the student said he was approached by a black female who stated she was collecting donations for an orphanage. According to reports, the female told the student that it is his responsibility to support the kids in her orphanage. The student then opened his wallet and the female observed two $20 bills. The student took out two dollars, but the female demanded $20, police said. The student gave her $20 and left the area. The instructor also reported that the same day, in the same area, another student was approached by a black female in a similar manner. The female recited the same orphanage story and demanded $20. According to police, the student gave her $20 and left the area. The officer circulated that area by the student center, but he was unable to locate anyone matching the description of the suspect. Video footage of a possible suspect was recorded in the Library on Friday, Oct. 7, police said.

• Four Campus Police officers were dispatched to Travers Hall on Saturday, Oct. 15, at 1 a.m. in reference to an intoxicated person. Upon the officers’ arrival on the ninth floor of Travers, they spoke to a Community Adviser (CA) who stated that someone reported a male lying on the ground in the ninth floor’s lobby. According to reports, the CA went to the area to check on the male, but he was gone. The CA then observed several people leaving a dorm room. He went to the door and knocked, and when it was opened, he detected a strong smell of alcohol, police said. The CA immediately contacted Campus Police dispatch. The student who was laying on the floor was quickly identified. When an officer attempted to speak to him, he was incoherent, vomiting and had a strong smell of alcohol emanating from his breath. According to police, there were several students in the room, and they stated that they were drinking. The CA said that when he went into the room, he observed a student laying on a bed, vomiting. When he went to check on the student, he observed approximately 40 empty Bud Light beer cans, one liter of Jack Daniels and a 1.75-liter bottle of raspberry vodka. One of the occupants of the room was cleaning up when officers arrived, police said. TCNJ EMS arrived and evaluated the intoxicated student before deeming it necessary to transfer him to the hospital for additional medical treatment. Ewing Basic Life Support arrived and transported the student to the hospital. Summonses were issued for underage drinking, however, one male was not issued a summons because he was of legal drinking age, police said.

• On Saturday, Oct. 15, at 12:40 a.m., a Campus Police officer conducting vehicle patrol observed an unattended golf cart parked in the middle of the road on 13th Street, near Armstrong Hall and the Science Complex. Campus Police dispatch alerted the officer that a Building Services Supervisor reported his golf cart missing from the rear entrance of Wolfe Hall, police said. The officer advised dispatch that he had recovered the vehicle and would remain on scene until the supervisor arrived. According to reports, at approximately 12:45 a.m., another officer transported the supervisor to 13th street. The supervisor stated that on Friday, Oct. 14, at approximately 11 p.m., he parked the golf cart at the rear of Wolfe. He took the keys and entered the building, where he remained in the Building Services office until approximately 12:30 a.m. He then went outside and noticed the golf cart was missing, police said. He asked one of his employees if they knew the golf cart’s whereabouts, but received a negative reply. According to reports, while the supervisor and officer were on the scene, the supervisor inspected and test-drove the golf cart. The supervisor stated that it was fully operational and did not appear to be tampered with, police said.

• While conducting a building check of Roscoe West Hall on Saturday, Oct. 15, at 3:10 a.m., a Campus Police officer observed graffiti in the basement. The officer observed several images and letters painted on the wall in yellow paint. A work order for removal was completed, police said.