RUPD identifies suspect in Coffeehouse theft
Coffeehouse’s petty cash was stolen from their safe the morning of Jan. 25, after a man unaffiliated with Rice University came into their unlocked back room. Security cameras enabled Coffeehouse employees to get a picture of the perpetrator and give all information to RUPD.
According to Clemente Rodriguez, the patrol operations captain for RUPD, they have identified the suspect. The police department has filed felony theft charges with the Harris County District Attorney’s office and a warrant has been issued for his arrest.
Coffeehouse General Manager Mandy Weaver said RUPD responded quickly and diligently.
“I will say that this crime brought to light an area where Coffeehouse needed to think about safety and security in more depth,” Weaver, a Martel senior, said. “We worked with our advisor and members of the Student Center Administration to remedy the unlocked door to our back room.”
According to Weaver, Coffeehouse has purchased a keypad lock for the back room door and will be installing it within the week.
“Every semester instances and situations come up that make us reevaluate our policies and procedures,” Weaver said. “We are constantly changing to better serve our customers, be it through faster drink service, more secure credit card processing, eliminating waste or updated POS systems.”
Will Rice Freshman James Suffoletta said that he found the theft surprising.
“It is an unfortunate event that undermines the trust that Coffeehouse has with the public,” Suffoletta said.
More from The Rice Thresher
Rice’s COVID class graduates amid nation-wide campus protests
Rice held its 111th commencement ceremony Saturday, May 4 at Rice Stadium. The class of 2024 walked through the Sallyport, which is currently closed amid ongoing construction of the academic quad, but was temporarily reopened for commencement. For the second year in a row, all undergraduate commencement events were condensed into one day — prior to 2023, ceremonies were typically spread out over a two-day span.
Rice SJP ‘liberated zone’ ends, university removes artwork in ‘beautification efforts’
The “liberated zone” on Rice campus and associated events ended Friday, April 26, after four days of programming, according to the Rice Students for Justice in Palestine Instagram page. Unlike overnight encampments spreading at college campuses across the country, Rice SJP disassembled the “liberated zone” each night and returned the following morning. And in contrast to clashes and escalating police responses that have led to some 2,000 arrests from Los Angeles to Hanover, N.H., there were “no major incidents and no arrests” at Rice, according to President Reggie DesRoches.
Rice Students for Justice in Palestine declares ‘liberated zone’ on campus
As student protests erupt across the country, Rice Students for Justice in Palestine launched a “liberated zone” on Rice campus, announced a two-day series of events and started construction on an “apartheid wall.”
Please note All comments are eligible for publication by The Rice Thresher.