ISU Police charged a man with tampering with a motor vehicle Friday after two cars were moved from their parking spots in order to allow space for early tailgaters.

Barry Johnston, 3440 Woodland St., was arrested Friday evening in connection with the incident.

Jerry Stewart, director of the Department of Public Safety, said Johnston told police he did not know the cars belonged to students, but thought the vehicles belonged to National Cyclone Club members and were holding spots for bigger vehicles.

Stewart said he thought Johnston believed that because of “where they were parked and past practice.”

Johnston, an employee of Butch’s Amoco, 100 E. Lincoln Way, was off duty at the time of the incident. Stewart said Johnston used no equipment to move the cars from Butch’s Amoco and was not acting on behalf of the business.

“He used a car opening tool commonly known as a ‘slim jim’ and slipped them into neutral,” Stewart said.

The cars were moved straight ahead to other spaces in the same lot, Lot D-3, Stewart said.

There is no set fine for a tampering with a motor vehicle charge. If there is a fine, it will be determined when Johnston appears before the Ames City Court.

— Jill Sederstrom