Campus police and city of Davis police on Monday (Nov. 4) reported the following arrests:
• Mario Anthony Clarke, 23, of Davis, arrested on campus, on charges of forced entry, felony burglary and possession of burglary tools, after police found him inside the Physics Building around 6:40 p.m. Saturday (Nov. 2). Officers said Clarke matched the description of a man seen on video surveillance breaking into the same building earlier in the day. He is not a °ϲĻϢ Davis student or employee.
• Halloween night last Thursday (Oct. 31) brought the sixth and seventh armed robberies in the city in six weeks. Officers reported similarities in the Halloween incidents and by Monday had confirmed they were related and made one arrest.
The first occurred around 9:30 p.m. in the parking lot of an apartment complex on Shasta Drive, where two armed males tried but failed to steal a car after ordering two females to exit the auto.
About 45 minutes later, in the vicinity of Seventh and D streets, two males ordered a lone female out of her car and drove off in it. Davis police said Woodland officers recovered the car two days later after a brief pursuit, and further investigation led to the arrest of a 17-year-old male on weapon and evasion charges.
Davis detectives continue to work with the Woodland police in following up on additional suspects and charges, according to a news release issued Monday (Nov. 4). Anyone with information about these incidents is encouraged to contact the Davis Police Department, 530-747-5400.
“We strongly recommend that community members remain vigilant,” Davis police said in the news release. “In most of the incidents (over the last six weeks), the victims were walking alone, and all but one occurred in the evening hours during darkness.”
In order to avoid becoming a victim, and reduce the potential for harm, police encourage the following:
- Avoid walking alone late in the evening hours.
- If you must walk alone, avoid dark, unpopulated areas.
- Avoid using or being distracted by your cellphone while in public.
- Cooperate if you are confronted by an armed or potentially armed person; property can always be replaced.
- Report suspicious people and/or behavior.
- Activate tracking software on phones and electronic devices.
Media Resources
Dateline Staff, 530-752-6556, dateline@ucdavis.edu