News & Notes: Juvenile arrested following skating incident in Woody Woo plaza

The Department of Public Safety arrested a juvenile on Saturday evening for defiant trespass, obstruction and resisting being held in Scudders Plaza next to Robertson Hall after skating in the area and refusing to provide identification.

In addition, DPS held in custody three juveniles and one local 18-year-old.

According to University Spokesperson Martin Mbugua, the individuals refused to leave the area when asked by a Department of Public Safety officer, adding that they had no form of identification on them and declined to provide their names.

“The officer then informed the individuals that they had to identify themselves and one of them got up, resisted efforts to restrain him and left,” Mbugua said.

However, Mbugua added, other DPS officers found the individual nearby.

There are at least two small signs in the plaza indicating that skateboarding is prohibited, according to reporters at the scene. The signs are posted next to the steps that lead to the plaza and also prohibit “swimming, wading [and] dog bathing” in addition to skateboarding.

A number of people could be seen wading in the plaza’s fountain on Monday evening. It remains unclear whether DPS would also ask these people to leave the fountain if seen.

The individuals are not University students. The four juveniles were released to their parents, and the 18-year-old was released by DPS. Charges are pending for the whole group, Mbugua said.

Public Safety's daily crime log recorded the incident as trespassing.

Correction: Due to a reporting error, an earlier version of this article misidentified the individual who was arrested as well as the nature of what the individual was arrested for. A juvenile was arrested for defiant trespass, obstruction and resisting being held. The ‘Prince’ regrets the errors.