Note: I've added an update below.

From today's Campus Watch crime report:

Deadly Conduct (Chemical Petroleum Engineering, 200 East Dean Keeton)
An unidentified subject caused damage to an exterior sliding glass door and a glass window pane located on the west side of the building. The damage consisted of dimples in the glass which, based on the evidence at the scene, is believed to have been caused by several small items striking the glass with great velocity. Repair cost: $300.00. Discovered on 4-23-05 at 10:45 AM. UTPD would like to establish a specific time frame for this incident. Anyone who had seen or knew of this damage prior to 4-23-05 at 10:45 AM is encouraged to contact Det. Riojas at 232-9641.

This is in reference to my building. Yikes! Still no news on exactly what happened. Sadly, I had a conversation with a friend who came in at 8:30 on Saturday morning. She saw the broken window and came on into the building without calling the police. She was a bit worried but did what most of the people I see around here do. She assumed someone else had already reported the damage. Clearly, based on the report, that's not the case. It took another 2 hours and 15 minutes before the damage was reported. Sigh...

Also from today's Campus Watch crime report:

Public Intoxication / Consumption of Alcohol by a Minor (Jester Center West, 201 East 21st Street)
A UT student, who was under the age of 21, approached a UT police officer, who was wearing a distinctly marked police uniform, and asked if the officer was the "pizza delivery man." After being informed that the officer was a police officer, the student asked the officer if he wanted to share take out food from another restaurant. The student was found to be under the influence of an alcoholic beverage to the point he was a physical endangerment to himself and all fast foods. Occurred on 4-23-05 at 2:30 AM.

Reality trumps fiction yet again!

UPDATE (April 26, 2005)
So. A brief update regarding yesterday's Campus Watch crime report. I didn't understand the "several small items striking the glass with great velocity" euphemism. The first time I read the "extreme involuntary physical reaction to the over consumption of an alcoholic beverage" phrase in one of those Campus Watch reports, I knew exactly what the report was talking about. The one in yesterday's report, though, I didn't get. I don't usually come and go through the door in question so I hadn't seen the damage. "Several small items" doesn't really sound like much. But, I was curious. And, I made a point of using the south stair well as I was leaving yesterday so I could take a look at the door. Someone shot at the door with a shot gun. And, there's also a small bullet hole in the metal frame near the ground. I see now why there's a detective assigned and an active investigation. There's no telling if our building was picked for any specific reason. It likely happened sometime between 1:30 am (after the custodial crew left for the night) and dawn. This place (like most of campus) is pretty deserted that early on a Saturday morning. So, the chances that someone would've been hurt were pretty slim. Still. Kinda spooky. Anyway, here are some photos I took this morning...

The shot below is the best I could do from outside while trying to compensate for the glare. Note the clear sticky film they've put over the glass to keep it from further collapsing until they can get the new glass installed. Luckily, it's a double-paned window and the interior glass did not break.

Do you see (in the photo above) the dent in the door frame along the left-side about 18 inches above the ground? Just a few inches above the hinge? That's the bullet hole:

And, here's a close-up of the gun shot pellet dents left in the door frame:

And, finally, a shot from inside the building. You can see the damage pattern a bit more clearly:

Eco-terrorists? We are talking petroleum engineering. Gang initiation? Random kids shooting at stuff? Whatever the case, it's much more unpleasant than the dry Campus Watch report would lead one to believe.

Posted on April 25, 2005 by Joanna