Moses Isaac Peralta, 22, is suspected of battery, robbery and possession of stolen property. Photo Courtesy of SLOPD
Alejandro Ambriz, 23. Accused of robbery and possession of stolen property. Photo Courtesy of SLOPD
Steven Medina, 23, is suspected of robbery, battery and possession of stolen property. Photo Courtesy of SLOPD
Two Cal Poly students were assaulted early on the morning of Jan. 16 in a pair of alleged strong-armed robberies on and near the Cal Poly campus.
Alejandro Ambriz, 23, and Moses Isaac Peralta, 22, both of Tulare, and Steven Randy Medina, 23, of Arroyo Grande, were arrested for the alleged crimes of robbery and possession of stolen property, according to a press release from the San Luis Obispo Police Department. In addition, Medina and Peralta were each charged with one count of battery.
University and city police responded to the first call of strong-armed robbery at approximately 2:20 a.m. A Cal Poly student had allegedly been beaten and robbed of personal possessions near the Recreation Center. The suspects were seen leaving the site of the crime in a green Dodge truck.
UPD Commander Lori Hashim said the student called from an off-campus house, but because the alleged assault took place on campus the University Police Department was dispatched.
The city police responded to another call at about 2:30 a.m. on the 300 block of Longview Lane, a short distance from the Recreation Center. A 22-year old student had allegedly been beaten and robbed by multiple suspects.
A San Luis Obispo police officer witnessed another assault at approximately 2:36 a.m. near the intersection of Walnut and Santa Rosa streets. Ambriz, Peralta and Medina were all arrested for the alleged offenses. The green Dodge truck contained possessions that belonged to the alleged robbery victims.
At the time of the press release, the three suspects were still being held at San Luis Obispo County Jail with bail set at $80,000 each.
Skateboards are legal on campus; riding them isn’t. The University Police Department enforces the law for safety reasons, but not everyone agrees with the ban on skateboards.
Last year the UPD gave 112 tickets to skateboarders.
“The only time skateboards are legal on campus is when they are being held,” Sgt. Robert Eckrote said. “There is no riding allowed at all on any of Cal Poly’s property.”
No one at the UPD knows exactly when the law was implemented, but Sgt. Lori Hashim said it has been around for more than 20 years. The officers’ concern is with the safety of riders and bystanders and with property damage and related costs. There is also a potential danger to motorists.
“There is a possibility of a driver swerving to avoid a skateboard and colliding with another vehicle or pedestrian,” he said.
The UPD has medical reports of injuries reported, but they do not keep statistics of specific injuries so a number for people injured from skateboards is not available. Health & Counseling Services also does not keep data of injuries on campus. “We don’t have statistical information but the majority of accidents we see are from skateboard and bike falls,” administrative analyst Alexandra Kohler said.
Despite the ban and dangers, skaters can be seen around campus holding and riding their boards.
Nick Shellhammer, a horticulture junior, skateboards to school but not on campus. Though he follows the law, he doesn’t agree with it. “I don’t think it should be illegal unless people are vandalizing,” he said. “I swear I see more bikers swerving between people than I do skateboarders.”
There is more of a concern for people skating and doing tricks than those skating for transportation. Skateboard tricks cause property damage and mean replacement of benches, curbs and rails.
Associate director of facility services Doug Overman said property damage on campus is nowhere near the problem it used to be. “Skateboarding damage has really tapered off,” he said. “Five or six years ago it was a problem; skate parks have made it less of one.”
When caught riding on campus the UPD will first give a warning, then citations thereafter. Violators have the option to attend a bicycle and skateboard diversion class, which will clear them of a first citation. Several years ago, the fine was $25 for every offense.
“Skaters were willing to risk riding and pay the fine,” police records manager Fred Mills said. “The UPD went to court to elevate prices and have fees increase for every continuing offense.”
Fines for skateboarding start at $146 for the first, $190 for the second and $380 if caught a third time. Rollerblades and scooters, like Razors, are also prohibited.
Police used a robot to search the backpack after the bomb squad saw suspicious wires in an X-ray. Photo by Leticia Rodriguez- Mustang Daily
The University Police Department was evacuated after calling the bomb squad when a backpack was found outside Police Chief Bill Watton’s office at 8:30 a.m. today. A bomb squad robot found a laptop and AV wires inside the backpack.
The road between the police station and the Corporation Administration building was closed off to all vehicles and pedestrians with orange cones and police officers standing at the entrance to Safety Way. A corporation employee said they were advised to stand away from windows.
“Likely what happened was an employee just found it and left it outside the police office,” Watton said.
The backpack was found beyond the door meant for authorized personnel and Watton said the backpack could have been there over break when he left the office on Wednesday at 6 p.m. Watton said the area beyond the door is a private area but that it is not always locked.
In the busy morning commute, a cyclist rushes on Truckee Road and Village Drive, near Diablo Hall, runs a stop sign, almost hits three or four pedestrians and cuts off a car before running another stop sign.
If he had been ticketed it could have cost more than $500.
The University Police Department has started to crack down and enforce bicycle regulation on campus.
“It’s not that we are going to be handing out tickets to everyone, it’s a judgment thing, and it’s not always black and white,” Sgt. Robert Eckrote said. “We will be giving tickets and less warnings.”
Enforcement has been increased because there are hundreds more cyclists on campus this year than in previous years and too many complaints and accidents have been made, Officer Frank Herrera said.
Officers have been looking at bike traffic at busy intersections like California Boulevard and Campus Way, North Perimeter Road and Via Carta and Grand Avenue and Slack Street, to get an idea of how many people are violating the law.
Officer Chad Reiley found lots of violations during his survey.
“Between 15 to 20 minutes I saw 80 to 100 violations,” he said.
Checking traffic lets officers know which parts of campus are more dangerous than others. Eckrote said the UPD found several common violations.
“The most common violations are failing to stop at a stop sign and no headlights (used) half-hour before sunrise and half-hour after sunset,” he said.
UPD designed and put up A-frame signs reminding cyclists to stop at stop signs and officers have been handing out informational flyers about bicycle laws. Since Oct. 1, officers have been going to dorms to educate students about campus safety, including biking.
Sgt. Lori Hashim said that the UPD had officers actively involved and helping to educate campus.
“It’s all part of the campaign, get everyone educated,” she said. “Let’s give everyone a chance.”
The UPD will be on foot, bikes and in cars regulating bicycilists, Eckrote said.
“Officers will be standing at stop signs and if a biker doesn’t stop the officer will radio another bike officer who will continue to pull them over,” he said.
If a person is trying to run from an officer and gets caught officers will arrest them for evading of a police officer and take them to county jail.
Officers will decide what to do if a cyclist is trying to escape, Reiley said.
“With any violator trying to get away, we would have to look and see if it is dangerous to chase,” he said. “We can radio giving a description but there is not much an officer can do at that point. It’s a case by case scenario.”
With a first time offense, the violator depending on the citation, has two options; pay the ticket or attend Bicycle and Skateboard Diversion class that is two hours long, Hashim said.
“If you attend the class then the ticket is dismissed. With a second offense you don’t get the class option,” she said.
The class goes over all laws pertaining to bicycles in detail and students watch safety movies, Reiley said.
A fine has to be paid in four to six weeks or it will turn into a warrant for arrest, Eckrote said. Getting multiple bike tickets will also raise car insurance rates.
Tickets also can be issued when a bike is locked to anything other than a bike rack.
“We do a warning with a slip, after that the bike is impounded with a bike lock and the owner will have to pay a fine. If not picked up in 24 hours the bike is seized and prices go up,” he said.
All bikes on campus must be registered with the UPD, there is no penalty but registering a bike can help in getting it returned after it is lost or stolen. Registration can be done online or forms can be picked up at the UPD office.
All Unclaimed bikes go to the lost and found for six months and then are are placed into the semi-annual bike auction. The next auction is Nov. 4 and 5 at the UPD.
A picture of a student sitting in what appeared to be a children’s Power Wheels vehicle being ticketed by three San Luis Obispo Police Department motorcycles and one University Police Department SUV gained viral popularity on Twitter last week and was plastered on the front page of the Mustang Daily with a headline that read “Little wheels cause a big deal.”
So what’s the real story behind this four-wheeled spectacle?
It’s more than just a toy. Rashed Talukder, a computer engineering junior, revamped a Power Wheels car as part of the first stages of his senior project.
The state motor vehicle code states that “No person shall operate a golf cart on any highway except in a speed zone of 25 miles per hour or less.”
University Police Chief Bill Watton said Talukder was ticketed for riding on California Boulevard’s bike lane, causing numerous complaints from drivers who couldn’t see the car, which is low to the ground.
“It would scare the hell out of me to be in that thing in a traffic lane,” Watton said. “There’s no way in the world I’d do that with the drivers and the cell phones and all the things going on.”
The California Department of Motor Vehicles Web site defines a golf cart as a “motor vehicle having not less than three wheels in contact with the ground, having an unladen weight less than 1,300 pounds, which is designed to be and is operated at not more than 15 miles per hour and designed to carry golf equipment and not more than two persons, including the driver.”
Although Talukder’s vehicle wasn’t designed to carry golf equipment, San Luis Obispo Police Department and University Police Department officials say the real issue deals with the student’s safety.
“SLOPD was just doing its job,” Talukder said. “They got a lot of calls so they had to respond.”
Computer engineering senior Rashed Talukder was ticketed on campus May 19 for driving a modified Power Wheels vehicle in the bike lane.
Taluker said he had no ill intent for his revamped Power Wheels.
Standing at about three feet above the ground, Talukder modified the plastic vehicle to include a solid frame, headlights and taillights, a horn, iPod connection and speakers, 500-watt motor, rubber wheels and an ignition.
In addition to creating an autonomous vehicle for his senior project — which will implement safety sensors for children’s vehicles and potentially full-sized cars — the car is a cheap and green way of getting to school.
“I made this thing for really two reasons. It costs me like 10 cents each day that I drive it,” Talukder said. “And there’s no maintenance. I don’t have to drive my car around, it’s green, I can park it wherever really, it’s really convenient for me, especially with my chronic asthma,” Talukder said.
Another reason Talukder enjoys riding in the car is the response he gets from the campus community.
“It puts smiles on people’s faces. It literally does,” Talukder said. “I go around and I think that’s one of the best things — one of the highs in life where you can do something for someone and not really expect something back in return.”
Before Tuesday’s incident, Talukder was pulled over twice — once by the San Luis Obispo Police Department and once by the California Highway Patrol — and was warned by University Police. He said he was advised to stay on the sidewalk, instead of in the bike lane when driving the vehicle.
“They couldn’t find anything at the time, law and restriction wise, to keep me from driving around, so they said I should stay on the sidewalk and possibly wear a helmet,” he said about the initial pull-over by the San Luis Obispo Police.
The day he was ticketed, Talukder wandered from the sidewalk to the bike lane for the duration of a block because he couldn’t find a disability ramp to get on the curb.
“If you were completely immobilized just with a man-powered wheelchair, you’d have to roll back down the hill or go back down the hill or go a block over and all the way around,” Talukder said. “That’s completely unacceptable in my opinion.”
Political science senior Tai Dang said the sidewalk isn’t the best place for a motor-powered vehicle to be.
“He shouldn’t be on the sidewalk, that’s for pedestrians,” Dang said. “I have the same problem with skateboarders, but at least (Talukder) has brakes.”
Talukder had been using the vehicle — weather permitting — for the past four months on his three-and-a-half mile journey from his home to Cal Poly’s campus. At the advice of University Police Department’s Associate Director Cindy Campbell, Talukder chained the Power Wheels car to a bike rack on campus.
One student, agriculture systems sophomore Stephen Abertolle, said he’d seen Talukder outside Kennedy Library and he was never disrupting the peace.
“He was just cruising,” Abertolle said. “It’s kind of messed up that he got a ticket. He can’t go that fast.”
“I think it’s ridiculous he got a ticket for it,” said electrical engineering senior Myles Still. “I mean, it’s a Power Wheels car.”
Talukder wouldn’t say whether he plans to fight the ticket, but he researched vehicle codes before building the car to try to protect himself from receiving one.
“I tried to be civil about it, to be safe about it,” Talukder said. “When they say that it’s for my own safety, I find that a little hard to swallow … I told them that I ordered a flag for it and I was going to put it on as soon as it came in.”
However the flag is not needed anymore.
Talukder said that the police told him that his car would be impounded if he drives it again. Although he doesn’t intend to ride his Power Wheels again on campus, the image of possible impoundment is comical to Talukder.
“I actually want to see the tow truck driver as he tows it away,” Talukder said, laughing. “I think it’d be the funniest thing in the world, but at the same time not funny because I don’t want it impounded.”
Watton verified the possibility of impoundments.
“If he drives it in traffic, that’s probably exactly the case (that the car will be impounded),” Watton said. “On campus, as long as he stays on the sidewalk, we’re not going to bother him, as long as he’s not blocking the sidewalk or anything like that.”
Lt. Tom DePriest of the San Luis Obispo Police Department also said impoundment was a possibility.
“You can’t modify and drive vehicles on the road that you can’t register,” DePriest said. He said that some motor-powered bicycles and scooters are registerable, but that plastic, off-the-shelf toys aren’t — even with a motor.
Watton said he has never seen Power Wheels being driven on campus before, but has seen other vehicles that are sometimes hard to regulate, like power scooters and motor bicycles.
“There are so many of them out there now,” Watton said. “The laws are real strange in that you have to really look closely to see how it fits and what it fits.”
Updated at 9:03 a.m. on May 26, 2009 with new information from SLOPD.
