Chance Complaint At UFA Leads To Arrest
By Jenna Simsen
As with most criminal activities that occur on campus and the surrounding area, the university police department makes it a priority to alert and inform students and faculty immediately about the events.
Any information that could be of use to students and faculty regarding their safety and well–being is distributed through university e-mail. This has proven to be very beneficial as it has seemed to come in handy for one student who was able to assist university police in the capture of the suspect involved in criminal activity on March 3.
Last Tuesday, students and faculty received an alert via their university e-mail informing everyone of a strong armed robbery that occurred on campus outside the Bayou Building around 6 p.m. The e-mail, from the university police chief, stated that a UHCL employee was approached by a man who demanded her jewelry. The man became aggressive and struck the employee on the side of the head and on the back of the neck with a closed fist. He attempted to grab her necklace and watch, but was unsuccessful, and fled the scene. The e-mail also included a description of the suspect so that faculty, staff and students could be wary of any suspicious persons who fit the depiction.
The specific description issued from the university police is what ultimately led to the recognition and arrest of the individual just one week later. The suspect was identified as 31-year-old Joseph Jones. Jones is on parole after recently being released from prison. Police say Jones had a previous record and a long list of similar offenses in numerous other states.
On March 11, the University Forest Apartments received complaints from residents about a suspicious man going door to door soliciting; attempting to sell magazine subscriptions to residents, which, police say, is a common cover used to scope out potential criminal opportunities.
The university police were contacted and an officer on bike patrol was first on the scene. The officer detained Jones after inquiring about the reason for his presence on the complex. He was then arrested for trespassing on university grounds.
“Once he was in jail, [we knew] he wasn’t getting out anytime soon,” Willingham said. “He had past felonies and was a parolee, so the trespass already violated his parole.”
While being detained, officers determined that Jones fit the description of the man who was thought to have been responsible for the strong armed robbery on March 3. Police made contact with the UHCL employee who was assaulted so that she could assist in positively identifying her assailant’s face. The victim positively identified Jones among a lineup of other photos of possible suspects. Charges were filed by the victim with the Harris County District Attorney’s office, and Jones was taken to Harris County Jail where he currently remains.
“If I don’t take it as far as I can take it, the next person might not be so lucky,” said the victim. “I feel blessed. This could have been so much worse.”
Although the capture was a success for university police, Willingham still urges students and faculty to continue to be aware of their surroundings. Although it is their intent to secure the safety of the entire university at all times, the university police cannot be everywhere at once, and it is important for students and faculty to stay alert while on campus. Willingham urges students to walk in pairs in well lit areas and use gut instinct. If a student should feel threatened or uneasy about a suspicious person or persons, they should not be afraid to contact the university police for any reason.
“The eyes and ears of the community are important to us to report people that don’t look like they belong in the area,” said Willingham.
The university police are also working with the Houston Police Department to see if there is a possible link between the incident at UHCL and the purse-snatching that occurred at the Kroger off Space Center Boulevard near campus.
