Dial R for ransom

Aug. 27, 2011-11:00 p.m.

Location: Indian River Towers and the Student Union

An FAU student’s phone was stolen and held for ransom for $40.

The student was hanging out at her friend’s room at IRT when she realized she misplaced her phone. She searched for her phone, but had no luck finding it. The next day, she went back to her friend’s room to look, but still couldn’t find it.

Her boyfriend received a text message from her phone, demanding $40 in order to get it back.

She met with the person outside of the Student Union to do the exchange. The person was a female passenger in an SUV.

The person in question then yelled “BITCH!” as the car sped away.

The student then contacted the police.

Although she got her phone back, all contacts were deleted and replaced with the suspects numbers, and the battery was changed with a damaged one. According to the student, the phone wasn’t working the same.

The police reviewed surveillance tapes and called the potential suspect, but their number had been disconnected.

The suspect was not found, but the student did receive her cellphone.

Lesson learned: Always know where your belongings are. And if your phone is being held as ransom for money, it’s probably best to contact the police before meeting up with the person who stole your phone. Duh.

Dial R for ransom, part II

Aug. 29, 2011-6:15 p.m.

Location: Indian River Towers

The student requested that the police press charges against the woman who stole her phone. She provided police with the number for a new contact listed “DAD,” and a police officer spoke with the suspect’s father.

He said his oldest daughter was most likely responsible for the incident. She was a student at FAU’s Fort Lauderdale campus, but no longer attended classes. He said he would pass down  the information to his daughter.

Police looked up the suspect’s name in their system and contacted the emergency phone number listed for her mother. They spoke to a woman who became very agitated and refused to give police any information.

The FAU student then began receiving text messages from a suspicious person who threatened to press charges against her for harassment and for impersonating a police officer.

The police called this number, and reached the suspect, but she refused to give them any information because she had obtained a lawyer.

Lesson learned: The same lessons as listed in the previous story, and another one–don’t steal people’s stuff. Seriously. Even if you do steal someone’s phone, it’s probably not the greatest idea to start making calls from it.

Get out, and stay out

Aug. 28, 2011-7:11 p.m.

Location: Student Union

A non-FAU student just can’t stay off of FAU’s campus, despite the fact that police had issued a trespassing warning against him.

A black male was observed by an FAU police officer by the student union. The officer recognized the man because earlier in the month, he was arrested for battery on a law enforcement officer, disorderly conduct, and petit/grand theft. He was given a trespass then, but still returned to campus.

The man received a warning and was advised that if he returned to FAU, he would be arrested for trespassing.

Lesson learned: We all know everyone is just dying to spend a lot of time at school, but if you are told to stay off school property, stay off.