The weekly crime briefs are to give the students, faculty and staff at the University of New Mexico a quick look into the crimes reported on campus. They do not provide all perspectives of the incident. All of the information is retrieved through UNM Police Department incident reports.
UNM student banned from campus for possession of firearms
University of New Mexico senior Steven Do, 21, was banned from campus after police found two handguns and a rifle in his dorm room.
The UNM Police Department went to his room in Alvarado hall earlier this month after they received reports that Do was receiving suspicious packages from gun sellers. He consented to a search of his dorm, in which the guns were found along with several other gun parts.
Do had previously told police that he was aware that no firearms were allowed on UNM campus.
Do told UNMPD he kept the rest of his guns and parts in a storage shed off of San Mateo. He reported himself having up to two dozen firearms and several thousand rounds of ammunition stored in the shed.
The suspect also said he was assembling firearms in his storage shed with gun parts he had purchased.
The student said he had no intention to "kill, maim or hurt a large group of people," according to the police incident report.
"He’s just a firearm enthusiast. Didn’t mean anything by having firearms," Lt. Trace Peck told KRQE in an interview. "He made the mistake of having those firearms on campus, but he’s kind of a firearms enthusiast and history buff."
Do was taken to the Prisoner Transport Center for booking into the Metropolitan Detention Center on Sept. 18.
Shots fired at UNMPD during car chase
Gunshots were fired near UNM campus during a police chase on Sept. 18 when UNMPD was in pursuit of a stolen vehicle.
Get content from The Daily Lobo delivered to your inbox
UNMPD witnessed a suspicious compact vehicle driving in the parking lot of the Pi Beta Phi sorority house with the headlights off.
When the police stopped to investigate the situation, a man carrying a variety of items rushed into the passenger side of the vehicle. The items he was carrying were thrown into the backseat.
The vehicle accelerated in an attempt to escape the UNMPD officer, and a chase ensued. As the car approached Yale Blvd., a gunshot came from the passenger side window.
"As the vehicle turned, I could smell sulfur fired from the fired weapon," Sgt. Guevara wrote in the incident report.
The chase continued southbound on University, and another gunshot with a muzzle flash came from the vehicle. The officer continued to pursue the vehicle with more UNMPD vehicles joining in.
The pursuit came to a halt on Kathryn St. SE after the vehicle crashed in an open lot. A female exited the vehicle and ran east on Kathryn, but both suspects were later arrested.
The suspects were booked in the Metropolitan Detention Center for auto burglary, shooting from a motor vehicle and conspiracy.
Neither suspect is a UNM student.
Makayla Grijalva is the managing editor at the Daily Lobo. She can be contacted at managingeditor@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @MakaylaEliboria
