Resident student Spencer Simon and commuter Richard Ma were arrested on September 23rd and 27th respectively after allegedly robbing dorm rooms in the Tabler and Kelly Quads on the morning of the 22nd.
“There is overwhelming evidence linking these suspects to the burglaries,” said University Police Chief Robert Lenahan. Michael Blackman, the Residence Hall Director at Sanger College, wrote in an email that this evidence included images and videos of the suspects.
Simon and Ma allegedly stole keys, ID cards, bags and laptops from the dorms. “From what we found leftover on the scene, it seems the perpetrator is most interested in laptops and money (credit and cash),” wrote Blackman
The suspects will face disciplinary action from the university, including possible expulsion, as well as legal action. “Although there are many factors involved, sentencing guidelines for a class B felony range from 1 to 9 years,” said Lenahan.
The police chief credited the arrests to “a combination of good investigative techniques as well as information supplied by members of the campus community.”
Among that information was the testimony of a student who interrupted one of the burglaries. The description he gave of a 5-foot-9 Asian male proved to be “very accurate,” according to Lenahan.
Lenahan said that while “a substantial amount of stolen property [was] recovered,” not all of it was. In another email to Sanger residents, Blackman said the police advised that students mark down the serial numbers on their laptops and phones so that they are easier to recover if stolen.
To help prevent crime on campus, Lenahan urges students not to leave their doors and windows unlocked – Simon and Ma allegedly entered through both – and to report any suspicious activity in resident areas.
