From graffiti to stolen purses, this weekly crime blotter aims to inform readers about offenses on and surrounding campus. While in-depth articles may be written about specific incidents, this column provides a brief overview of recent crimes that impact the UW community.

Tuesday, April 21

Officers detained a man in the HUB who was masturbating while viewing pornography on a public access computer. The suspect was found to have marijuana on his person, which was confiscated by authorities.

Thursday, April 23

An iPod was stolen from Odegaard Undergraduate Library when the victim left a backpack unattended. The estimated loss is $200. Another laptop was stolen from Odegaard for a loss of $800 on the same day.

“Generally, the reason why personal items are taken is that they are left unattended,” said UW Police Department crime prevention officer Warren Bresko. “People get up to use the restroom or to get periodicals, and when they come back, their stuff is gone.”

Authorities stopped a man outside Terry Hall and found that he had a starter pistol on his person. While the instrument only makes the noise of a gun and cannot actually fire a bullet, the individual had an outstanding warrant and was arrested.

Saturday, April 25

At approximately 2:20 p.m., a man grabbed a small purse from the coat pocket of a woman walking up the spiral staircase by the Henry Art Gallery. After a struggle, the suspect fled with the item. The victim was not injured, and the incident is still being investigated by the Seattle Police Department (SPD).

Monday, April 27

Instances of graffiti that spelled out “1,000 Dicks” and resembled the shape of a fish were found on Kane Hall and the C10 overpass. The estimated damage is $250.

A man walking in the 4500 block of the Ave at approximately 2 p.m. was surrounded by three men. The group taunted the victim before stealing a bag that contained the man’s wallet and fleeing the scene. The suspects were not found, and the incident is being investigated by the SPD.

The UWPD and the SPD’s online blotter provided the information for this column. The online blotter provides a sampling of the hundreds of incidents the SPD responds to each day.

Reach editorial assistant Lexie Krell at news@dailyuw.com.