MIP, meth and phone fraud in the first crime report of the fall

As the 2024-2025 school year begins, crime reports are returning. Although the fall semester has just begun at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, there have already been numerous crimes on campus.

In the early morning hours of Aug. 20, UNLPD approached two male non-students on the edge of East Campus. When officers spoke with them, they discovered that one of the men had an outstanding warrant. Police searched the man and found a pipe containing methamphetamine, Sergeant Joshua Rubottom said. Officers charged the man with possession of a controlled substance. Police also charged the other man with making a false statement after he gave officers a false name, though he was later released, according to Rubottom.

According to the UNLPD crime log, a survivor reported a rape at the 50/50 apartment complex on August 24. The reported rape occurred between 5 and 7 a.m. that day. According to Sergeant Craig Teply, this is an isolated incident and does not pose a major threat to the campus, students or faculty. Officers are still investigating, Teply said.

Police are investigating a fake call made to a student on August 22. The speaker pretended to be a police officer and asked the student to wire money, which he did. Officers are actively searching for the perpetrator, Rubottom said.

According to Rubottom, an officer on foot patrol on campus around 1 a.m. on Aug. 23 spotted a non-student walking near Othmer Hall with no direct route. The officer spoke with the man and learned there was a warrant for his arrest. Police found methamphetamine and a glass pipe used for consumption. Officers arrested the man for drug possession, Rubottom said.

In the early morning hours of Aug. 22, police saw a group of students assisting another student who was obviously intoxicated on the sidewalk near the Courtyards. UNLPD approached the group and sought medical attention for the student. After he was rescued, officers cited the student on Aug. 25 for possession of alcohol by a minor, Rubottom said.

According to Rubottom, officers stopped a vehicle on August 20 at the corner of 18th and R streets after noticing that the vehicle had mismatched and expired license plates. When officers spoke with the driver, they discovered that his license was suspended. According to Rubottom, UNLPD charged the driver with false license plates.

UNLPD officers cited a driver after they noticed a vehicle speeding 11-15 miles per hour on 10th and T streets in the late morning hours of Aug. 19, Rubottom said. After they stopped the driver, he was cited for a suspended license, speeding and failure to demonstrate financial responsibility, according to Rubottom.

Officers are investigating the stolen bicycle tires of a student at the corner of 17th and R streets. The tires disappeared sometime between Aug. 16 and the morning of Aug. 19. Police are still reviewing the camera footage, Rubottom said.

The UNLPD said it received a wallet with a fake ID on August 24. A passerby turned in a wallet he found in the Railyard that contained the student's real ID as well as the fake ID. According to Rubottom, police contacted the student and issued him a warning.

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