Vol. 68, Issue 6
Est. 1981
February 27 - March 5, 2024
THE PAISANO
Independent Student Newspaper for the University of Texas at San Antonio Community /PaisanoOnline
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@paisanomedia
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armed man roams Villas, animal abuse sparks resident concern
By Jake Mireles Opinion Editor
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Photos courtesy of Villas residents
uring February, a man brandishing a rifle was seen roaming the Villas at Babcock complex. The individual was confirmed to enter a unit where complex residents also reported witnessing animal abuse. Multiple residents expressed their concerns on the matter through a resident GroupMe. Animal abuse During the Fall 2023 semester, multiple residents of Villas at Babcock student housing complex reported an instance of animal abuse to complex management. An Alaskan Husky mix breed dog was reported to have been left out on a balcony in Building 15, sometimes for several days and even during freezing conditions. Joan and Elise, two residents who live close to the unit in question, initially raised concerns about the animals’ well being. “[Having to] share a wall with him, it just hurt a lot. I don’t want to say he’s, like, abusing his dog, but that’s what it sounded like,” Joan stated. “You could tell the difference between when a dog cries from whatever else and being hurt.” The residents also reported the dog having to relieve itself on the balcony when it was left outside for multiple days. “It was really bad. The dog would be urinating and pooping up there,” Elise stated. “There’s pee dripping down the side of the apartment. You could see it on the walls. You could see it on our walls too. And it smelled horrible from upstairs, from downstairs, from outside. It was really bad.” Reporting issues According to the two residents, complex management did not respond to their complaints. “There [are] so many things that happen here that they do nothing about,” Elise stated. “We’ve been complaining about them, literally since they moved in, like, since the beginning of our lease,” Joan stated. “And then we mentioned the dog, and [the management stated] ‘We can’t tell people what to do with their dogs.’ And that’s all. That was it.” Joan also expressed frustration with Villas’ lack of enforcement of lease violations. “I’ve gotten plenty of these violations, pertaining to my dog from last year,” Joan stated. “They never once got any of those.”
Shots fired and lease violation Joan explained that she witnessed the resident come home with a rifle, and what looked like paperwork for registration of the firearm. Subsequently, multiple residents have reported reckless use of the gun inside the complex. “They were just shooting it in the air like it was nothing,” Joan stated. “I was laying in my bed, it was like 3 a.m. All of a sudden, you hear like six gunshots ring out.” This incident is a violation of the Villas at Babcock’s leasing agreement. The lease states that “Neither you, or your guests will be allowed to engage in the following prohibited activities— displaying or storing a firearm, BB gun, pellet gun, or any other air-powered weapon, knife or other weapon in the Apartment Community in an open manner or in any way that may alarm others.” According to residents, this incident happened twice, once on Feb. 4, and again on Feb. 16. The residents reported the initial incident to property management, and after the second incident occurred, the residents officially reported the gunfire to UTSAPD. However, Elise explained that when she reported the gunfire to the property management, the management expressed that they were unable to take any action as they did not want to put their employees in harm’s way. On Feb. 18, several residents reported seeing a man armed with a rifle knocking on the doors of units around the complex. Joan and Elise confirmed that this man was not a unit resident, but an individual who visted the apartment belonging to the alleged gun owner. This information was initially reported by residents in the Villas at Babcock’s resident GroupMe. “Apparently there’s dudes walking around with a rifle knocking on people’s doors late at night,” one resident stated on the resident GroupMe. Residents provided photos taken of the armed man through peepholes and through downstairs windows of multiple units. Another resident stated, “There were some guys outside my building knocking on my door last night and counting down, but we were too scared to check.” Delayed response from Villas Residents say that both the owner of the dog and the owner of the rifle have been evicted by the complex. However, the complex supposedly did not communicate this result with those who reported both incidents. When contacted to confirm if these evictions occurred, Villas at Babcock management did not respond.
“The Villas didn’t actually say anything actively to us or, like, any of the residents,” Joan stated. “A girl went up there was like ‘Oh I’ll just see if they could tell me something about it’ and then she like texted me and was like ‘Oh yeah they’re both getting evicted.’” Safety in question However, despite this response from the complex, many residents are questioning the safety and security of Villas at Babcock. “During all of that, I didn’t feel safe at all,” Elise said. Joan then commented on a series of break-ins and thefts that occurred recently at the complex. “My car got stolen. Villas did nothing about it,” Joan said. When asked what they feel the complex could have done better to respond to these issues, Joan and Elise stressed the importance of a quick response and clear communication with residents. “Just act faster. That’s what I wanted to see. Why did it take so long? I want to see them act faster in situations like this,” Elise stated. Villas at Babcock was contacted for a comment regarding both incidents but failed to respond. This is a developing story, to stay updated visit paisanoonline.com.
Honoring MLK’s legacy 2/16 to 2/21
By Laynie Clark Editor-in-Chief
In compliance with the Clery Act, UTSA keeps a public daily crime log that houses all on-campus crimes. The log summarizes the case’s date, time, location, incident and current status. The crimes detailed below are taken directly from the crime log, showcasing the trends premiered during the first month of classes. Harassment On Tuesday, Feb. 20, a harassment case was reported to UTSAPD. The incident occurred for nearly a year, dating back to April 1, 2023. As of now, the case is active. Impersonating a public servant On Monday, Feb. 19, an individual impersonated a public servant on Brackenridge Ave. Lot 2. The incident occurred from 4:23 to 5 p.m. and was reported that same day. The individual was charged with criminal trespassing. The case was cleared by arrest. Consumption of alcohol by minor On Saturday, Feb. 17, 20 counts of consumption of alcohol by a minor took place at Chaparral Village. The offense occurred from 11:53 p.m. to 12 a.m. and was reported at the same time. Additionally, two
counts of furnishing alcohol to minors were given out. Both incidents were cleared by arrest. Duty on striking unattended vehicle Duty on striking an unattended vehicle is a consistent trend throughout the crime log. With three counts reported since Feb. 18, one is active, one is inactive and one is unfounded. Theft On Wednesday, Feb. 14, a mail theft incident took place at Laurel Village. The offense occurred from 10:51 a.m. to Friday, Feb. 16, at 10 a.m. and was reported at 12:50 p.m. on Friday. The case is still active. Graffiti On Tuesday, Feb. 20, a graffiti-related incident took place at the H-E-B Student Union. The incident occurred from 6 p.m. to 9 a.m. the following day and was reported at 9:44 a.m. on Wednesday. The case is still active. Criminal mischief On Sunday, Feb. 18, criminal mischief took place at Resident Lot 2. A criminal mischief crime occurs when “someone intentionally damages someone else’s property without their consent.” The incident happened from 1:29 to 1:43 p.m. and was reported at 1:29 p.m. The case is still active. To stay in the loop, visit UTSA’s Public Safety website.
By Naydine De La Fuente Copyediting Coordinator After being canceled in January due to icy weather conditions, the community in San Antonio gathered to keep the image of Martin Luther King alive on Feb. 24 and 25. The City of San Antonio invited citizens to attend the “Working Beyond the March” event at Pittman Sullivan Park. This celebration was a weekend of connections through resources such as local businesses, health agencies, youth activities and food and a way to learn about the various assets San Antonio has to offer. The main attractions of the event were the various booths and local businesses present. One of the organizations in attendance was none other than the City of San Antonio Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Commission. Founded in 1986, this organization is well-known for planning the annual MLK March and spearheading initiatives to honor Dr. King through a variety of community events. Individuals could stop by and gather information pertaining to the event, Black community-related topics and even local Black-owned businesses that individuals can support in San Antonio. “I’m here at the event volunteering my services to a community that has always given back to me and my family,” volunteer Sandra Cassel said. “I love these kinds of events because it’s so informative, we got a booth that helps you register to vote, help you get your business started, get healthcare, look at entertainment, information and other stuff like that.” Various booths at the event also touched on health-related issues. This included stands such as Latched Support Services and the Metropolitan Health District, which were both there to advise and offer their resources to San Antonio’s community. “Our main goal for being here today is to, number one, spread brand awareness, making sure families do know about the services available to them and just incorporating that with having a fun time with the community,” Latched Program Associate Shaniah Clement said. Health Program Specialist for the Immunization,
Dustin Vickers/The Paisano
Outreach, Education and Partnership Program (IOEP) Rianna Walker and Health Program Specialist for immunization information systems, immunization quality provider Adrienne Barrie also gave information on the Metro Health District. “My heart is about collaborating with outside external partners and making sure we’re giving equitable immunizations in San Antonio,” Walker said. Barrier continued by saying “We just want to support the community and empower them to get vaccines to [create] a healthy community and healthy life whether it’s [from] getting immunizations, [or from] STI and STD prevention.” Aside from the various food vendors, where attendees could enjoy turkey legs, burgers and refreshing drinks, individuals at the event were provided entertainment by various guest speakers and performances. “We had an idea to put together a two-day festival. We allow the community not only present on stage but also opportunities for people to come out together and continue to celebrate the legacy,” Commemorative Program Chair Mia Morris said. “This event I think should be a platform for local artists, a platform for people to come and showcase their talents and celebrate. Despite the MLK March’s previous cancellation, Working Beyond the March provided a festival-like event where individuals could come together as a community and keep Martin Luther King’s dream alive. To learn more or get updates on events going on in San Antonio, visit the City of San Antonio website.