The following accounts were provided by Investigator Robert Meddleton of Binghamton’s New York State University Police.

Rip it off

WEDNESDAY, May 2, 11:15 p.m. — Officers responded to a stairwell in Broome Hall of Newing College to investigate damage to a wall-mounted temperature sensor, which controls the building’s sprinkler system. Officers checked cameras in the stairwell and observed video footage of a 19-year-old male ripping off the temperature sensor as he walked by. The suspect looked at the broken sensor on the ground and walked away. Officers located the suspect, who said he accidentally broke the sensor. Later, while being questioned by UPD, the suspect admitted he did it on purpose. He was arrested and received a ticket to appear at Vestal Town Court.

Witness to the rescue

THURSDAY, May 3, 10:07 a.m. — An 18-year-old male contacted UPD after he witnessed a black Jeep back into a white BMW in Parking Lot M4. The witness wrote down the plate numbers of both vehicles and an officer was able to locate the 21-year-old male driver of the black Jeep. Upon questioning, the driver said he wrote a note on the vehicle before leaving the scene; however, the officer was unable to locate the note. Eventually, the driver admitted he did not leave a note on the vehicle. According to the driver, he was freaked out by the witness watching him and decided to leave the scene. The suspect was issued a traffic ticket and will appear in Vestal Town Court.

Lyft extortion

FRIDAY, May 4, 1:51 a.m. — Officers patrolling campus noticed a crying 19-year-old female sitting on a bench at a bus stop near West Drive. Upon questioning, the female said she had taken a Lyft cab from Downtown Binghamton to campus and was dropped off at the bus stop before realizing she had left her ID and phone in the car. The female said she borrowed a phone to call the driver, whom she was familiar with. When she called, the driver said he was busy and he needed $50 to bring her belongings back. When the victim said she did not want to pay $50 and just wanted her phone and ID back, the driver pretended to not understand English and hung up. An officer called the driver and informed him that if he did not return the female’s belongings, he would be arrested for larceny. The driver came to the Information Booth and returned the female’s phone and ID. She declined to press charges; however, an officer spoke with the driver and warned him about the consequences of refusing to return the items.