Three cars parked on the second level of the Olive Garage were broken into shortly after midnight on Saturday, Jan. 25. About $155 in property was taken from the cars, but immediately recovered by the Department of Public Safety.
Jack Titone, director of DPS, said a female DPS officer, walking to her car after just completing her shift, observed that her car door was ajar. Upon inspection, she noticed that her car had been ransacked. She saw a subject standing next to another vehicle, acting in a suspicious manner. When she asked the individual for University identification, the subject indicated that he was visiting his girlfriend. The officer saw that the suspect had a book bag and hammer in his possession. He then ran from her, toward the stairwell located on the northwest portion of the garage, and descended the stairs next to the security booth.
The officer then activated the emergency panic alarm. Three other off-duty DPS officers responded to her call. The officers pursued the subject on foot to the intersection of Theresa Avenue and Lindell Boulevard, where he was detained. The subject resisted arrest from both DPS and St. Louis Police Department officers.
Warrants have been issued against the suspect, Christopher Tate, a 19-year-old African American male. He was charged with two counts of stealing under $150, tampering with a vehicle and resisting arrest. Tate is “responsible for numerous car break-ins that occurred on the city streets that night in the Midtown area,” Titone said.
Tate allegedly damaged two other cars in Olive Garage, both belonging to University students who are assisting in the prosecution, Titone said.
“The incidents occurred within seconds and the incidents were on the garage’s security cameras,” Titone said. “The tapes have been seized as evidence in this matter by the police.”
Titone said this is the first time any car break-ins have occurred in the University garages. He believes that the emergency panic alarms and closed-circuit camera located in the garages were instrumental in not only catching the subject, but also providing police with a video account of the incident for prosecution.
“The University garages are very safe,” Titone said. “DPS will continue to monitor the University garages with our camera system and the on-site security officer, [in addition to] performing drive-throughs of all garages.”
In bad weather DPS normally receives an increase in calls. During icy and snowy conditions, DPS initiates a “code 99.” When this code is activated officers are told to park their vehicles in a safe location, as it is unsafe to drive on city streets due to the slick conditions, ceasing escort service. Units would only be dispatched to emergency calls for assistance.
Also, in extreme weather conditions, the gates are raised in the up position, as there is a tendency for them to malfunction and freeze. During the times the gates are in the up position, DPS provides additional lot patrols to ensure the vehicles’ security, Titone said.
