University police are investigating the theft of more than $3,000 from the Church Street parking garage.

Parking and Transportation Services officials and police said they believe an employee stole the money sometime between May 1 and Oct. 17.

“There is a suspect. It’s an alleged internal theft involving a parking services employee,” Lt. Charles Miner said.

A senior accountant of Parking and Transportation Services reported the missing money Saturday, but he and other parking officials refused to comment on the ongoing investigation.

Parking and Transportation Services employs more than 100 parking attendants, the majority of which are students, said Jacqueline Brudlos, the department’s communications coordinator.

No arrests have been made.

In other police news:

University freshman was charged with assaulting a Pioneer Hall security monitor Sunday morning.

University police found Matt Hoffman and his roommate arguing with the 20-year-old unarmed security employee outside Pioneer Hall.

“We got into a verbal argument and (the security monitor) actually pushed me, and I ended up with an assault ticket,” Hoffman said.

The security monitor did not return phone calls, but according to the police report, he found Hoffman and two friends at approximately 4 a.m. making too much noise during “quiet hours.”

The monitor and Pioneer Hall staff asked the men to quiet down several times during the night until Hoffman became aggressive and pushed the monitor against the outer wall outside Pioneer Hall, the report said.

The monitor then pushed back.

The altercation allegedly continued for approximately 15 minutes and drew out residents who could not sleep because of the noise.

University police conducted a breathalyzer test on Hoffman and his friends and cited them with underage drinking.

But Hoffman said he was not that drunk and plans on challenging the charges in court next week.

His roommate, who was involved in the altercation, was taken to Hennepin County Medical Center’s detoxification unit later that evening.

niversity police gave underage drinking citations to three freshmen who allegedly stole a $25 box of doughnuts Saturday morning.

A Comstock Hall supervisor asked police to question three residents whom he had seen stealing the box from the kitchen’s loading area, officers said.

According to the report, the three 18-year-olds, who lived together on the fifth floor, denied taking the pastries, telling police they had a fourth roommate who had purchased them at a local bakery.

As they questioned the roommates, police said they smelled alcohol on their breath and conducted a breathalyzer test on the students.

The students were given citations.

After the supervisor asked twice, the roommates returned the box marked “Comstock Kitchen.”