A University of Minnesota researcher had his laptop and backpack stolen from Jackson Hall on Tuesday, according to a police report.

Song Lou is a biological researcher at the University. He said he was working in a lab on the third floor of Jackson Hall when a man came in and said someone was looking for him upstairs.

The people upstairs told Lou they weren’t looking for him. When he came back to the lab, his laptop, backpack and the man were gone.

University police Deputy Chief Chuck Miner said nobody saw the man take Lou’s things, but it’s likely he committed the crime.

University police have dealt with 145 thefts so far this year, according to the most recent data. That’s down from 208 thefts last year at this time.

Burglary thwarted

Minneapolis police arrested a man late Tuesday night for burglarizing a building on 27th Avenue Southeast, according to a report.

Real estate agent Adam Seraphine owns the building, which he said is vacant. His security system notified him someone was breaking in.

Minneapolis police Sgt. Bill Palmer said the suspect came in through a door, but it’s not yet clear whether he forced his way in.

The suspect didn’t take anything from the building or do any damage.

“As a landlord, you always have minor issues,” Seraphine said. “You just have to deal with them.”

The city’s 2nd Precinct, which includes area around the University, has seen 230 burglaries so far this year — down from 276 last year.

Man urinates on Library bar

University police cited a man early Wednesday morning for urinating on the side of the Library Bar and Grill, according to a report.

Miner said it’s not clear whether the man had been drinking, but his speech was slurred.

Library general manager Joe Berg said incidents like this are somewhat common.

“It’s hard to catch them,” he said, because the offenders usually leave before police can arrive.

Most University police citations for public urination happen when nearby police spot them happening, Miner said.