Man accused of setting off Dobie alarms

AUSTIN (KXAN) - Surveillance video at the Dobie Center and other locations at the University of Texas at Austin has linked a 42-year-old man to nearly a dozen cases of falsely activating fire alarms on campus last week.

According to an arrest warrant affidavit released Tuesday, investigators with both Austin Fire Department and UT police said Scott Allen Chatagnier was seen pulling some of the alarms and in the area where several others were activated on Sept. 10.

Authorities were able to track down Chatagnier because he was wearing a University of Georgia Bulldogs ball cap and what they said was a "distinctive backpack," the affidavit said.

UT police saw someone matching Chatagnier's description and wearing the backpack on Sept. 11 and questioned him, the document said. At first, he told officers that he was no where near the area when the alarms were sent off, the affidavit said. Shown surveillance, Chatagnier said "I'm not denying it was me," according to the affidavit.

Police said they were allowed to search Catagnier's apartment and found the Bulldogs ball cap. They obtained an arrest warrant charging Chatagnier with setting off false alarms, a Class-A misdemeanor. He was not in custody as of Tuesday afternoon.