A series of vandalisms that have recently occurred on the OU campus and caused about $7,500 in damages to vehicle windows may have come to an end Wednesday night.

OU Department of Public Safety arrested Michael Ryan Wright, 19, on suspicion of the campus vandalisms.

OUDPS community service officers were engaging in a surveillance detail to help deter burglaries and vandalisms when they observed a suspicious vehicle driving through OU parking lot MP-12 at the corner of Lindsey Street and Jenkins Avenue around 11:15 p.m, according to OUDPS police reports.

An officer noticed that Wright was driving his vehicle without lights, according to a police report. The vehicle matched the description of one that was seen leaving the scenes of multiple serial vehicle vandalisms on campus.

When police confronted Wright at a parking lot near First Street, he was driving with a suspended license. Police immediately arrested Wright and took him to the station for questioning.

At the station, Wright confessed to participating in multiple crimes on campus including vandalism and burglary from automobiles, according to a police report. Wright was then charged with driving under suspension and transported to the Cleveland County Detention Center.

OUDPS Sgt. Gary Robinson said that although the police didn't get frustrated during the investigation, they had been trying to nab a suspect for quite a while.

"Of course, we have been stepping up our patrols around campus as well as asking the public for assistance," he said. "We just had to use a little creativity, and the community was more vigilant in the way the situation was handled."

Robinson said Wright will most likely be facing further charges once the investigation is complete.

"He probably will be charged with malicious injury to property, and in this case, that is a felony depending on the amount of damage that was done to the vehicles and how many burglaries he committed," he said.

However, Robinson said that Wright may not be responsible for all of the burglaries and vandalisms.

At least 32 vandalisms have been reported throughout Norman and the OU campus since early December, including 25 in January alone. Marbles were found at some crime scenes indicating the windows were shot out using some kind of projectile. However, nothing was reported stolen, according to police reports, which rules out burglary as a possible motive.

Robinson said police are continuing to investigate the case.

"We just don't want to pin this kid with every crime, especially if he didn't commit them," he said. "Right now, we are in the early stages of the investigation, so the number of vandalisms he was involved in is unknown. I know there are a lot of victims out there who want answers, but we just can't say that this thing is over."
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