These past three weeks, our usually bustling and heavily populated campus became semi-deserted as students headed home for the holidays. Unlike lectures, however, crime takes no vacation for Christmas, Hanukkah or Festivus. Here’s the illegal activity you missed during the break:

Wednesday, Dec. 5:

The last week of class saw the arrest of one student when police uncovered “several items consistent with selling marijuana” in the student’s Stevens Court apartment, UWPD Sgt. Doug Schultz said.

The student was under investigation for some time before the police obtained the warrant that led to the apartment search and the student’s arrest.

“We know a lot of people use marijuana, but they cross way over the line when they start selling it on campus,” UWPD Assistant Chief Ray Wittmeier said.

The student is now facing drug charges.

Monday, Dec. 17:

The UWPD received a call from a female student who said a suspicious male accosted her as she was walking in the Montlake parking lot.

According to the police, the victim said the suspect began yelling at her after she initially ignored him. He then asked her the time, which she stopped to give him. The suspect then asked her to have sex with him. She immediately left the parking lot and walked to the University Village, where she called the police.

Approximately three-and-a-half hours later, the police received a second call from a female student who described a similar male who was following her as she walked behind the University of Washington Club on Stevens Way. This second woman said the man would not leave her alone and kept telling her she was attractive. The police began looking for the suspect near the Engineering Library, where he was last seen.

Eighteen minutes after the second call, the police received a third call from the N-22 parking lot. A third female victim described a man who was following her and telling her she was beautiful.

All three victims described the suspect as being between 20 and 30 years old, about 5 feet 9 inches tall, with a buzz cut, a pock-marked face, wearing a blue satin sport jacket and jeans and carrying a dark backpack and a water bottle. Chief Wittmeier said that the police have not yet found the suspect, but that he suspects the man is not a student.

“From the description, he seems like a street person,” Wittmeier said.

The water bottle-toting sex solicitor is still at large.

Sunday, Dec. 23:

The Seattle Police responded to 911 calls reporting the sounds of gunfire emanating from the Theta Chi fraternity house on 17th Avenue Northeast. According to The Seattle Times, police surrounded the house and determined that the shots were being fired in the basement. Officers then entered the four-story building and arrested a 21-year-old man.

The suspect had lined up rows of cans and bottles in his fraternity basement and was shooting them with a rifle for target practice. The police ordered the man to drop his rifle and surrender, which he did.

The man was booked into King County Jail for investigation of reckless endangerment, unlawful discharge of a firearm and property damage.

Between Dec. 15 and Dec. 28:

Various campus buildings, including Smith, Denny, Johnson and the Computer Science and Engineering Building were hit by a string of attempted and successful robberies.

Burglars successfully lifted a DVD-VCR player from Smith and an Apple desktop computer from the Computer Science and Engineering Building, yet failed to gain access to the other buildings.

“We have descriptions of two individuals, a white male and a black male,” Schultz said. The first was described as being 6 feet 1 inch tall with a stocky build and blonde hair. The other suspect was described as having an average build, with a long, wavy ponytail and sideburns.

Anyone with information about either suspect is encouraged to contact the police.

Reach Sgt. Schultz at 206-685-2555.

The UWPD can be reached at 206-543-0507.

[Reach reporter Siv Prince at news@thedaily.washington.edu.]