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Thursday, March 28, 2024
The Observer

Fisher hit by string of break-ins

The Notre Dame Security/Police Department is currently investigating a string of four burglaries that took place in Fisher Hall between Jan. 29 and Feb. 2, NDSP assistant director Phil Johnson said.On Jan. 29 at approximately 11 a.m. an alleged suspect entered the unlocked room of freshmen Kevin Hetzel and Will McLeod, where the two lay sleeping, Hetzel said, stealing their Playstation, Nintendo 64, a few video games, a boxed set of "The O.C." and $10-15 in cash out of Hetzel's wallet.The two woke up as the alleged suspect was exiting the room, but were not particularly concerned about his presence, Hetzel said."Since it was so early on a Saturday, I figured it was some [intoxicated] guy," he said. "When I got out of bed and realized our Playstation was gone, I called NDSP."Hetzel described the alleged suspect as a black male who was "pretty big, about six feet tall." He appeared to be college-age and was wearing dark clothing, Hetzel said.On Jan. 31 between the hours of 10 a.m. and 1 p.m., an alleged suspect entered the unlocked room of freshmen Kevin Carrier, Jarred Wafer, Dan Curran and Luke Cieslewicz - but unlike the first burglary, the room was empty at the time, Cieslewicz said.According to Cieslewicz, the alleged suspect stole a Game Cube, a Playstation and the accompanying memory cards and controllers. The alleged suspect also took about 18 DVDs and 19 video games, Cieslewicz said.On Feb. 2, an alleged suspect entered the unlocked single of sophomore Paul Wasnick between the hours of 9:15 a.m. and 3 p.m., as well as the quad of sophomores Jake Benedict, Mike Elpers, Jerremy Moreno and Adam Record between the hours of 10:15 a.m. and 2:15 p.m,, according to records on the NDSP crime blotter.According to Wasnick, the alleged suspect stole a watch and $26 in cash from his room. The residents of the quad could not be reached for comment Tuesday, but the alleged suspect took jewelry, DVDs and "consumer electronics" from the room, Johnson said. Wasnick's next-door neighbor, sophomore Teddy Weltner, spotted the alleged suspect sitting on Wasnick's futon looking at his Playstation when Weltner poked his head in the room, Wasnick said. Weltner could not be reached for comment Tuesday. According to Wasnick, Weltner described the alleged suspect as a "bigger, intimidating black male in his mid 50's." When Weltner inquired into Wasnick's whereabouts, the man replied gruffly, "'Paul's not here,'" Wasnick said. "I think the guy was planning on taking [the Playstation]," Wasnick said, "but [Weltner] scared him out of it."The alleged suspect has made other attempts, said Dominic Angiollo, the assistant rector of Fisher Hall."We've had a couple students say they saw somebody come in their room and essentially chased them out," Angiollo said, declining to name additional students. "Another student saw somebody wandering through the hall." Angiollo declined to give a description of an alleged suspect.The first students robbed on Jan. 29 did not alert Fisher Hall Staff, Angiollo said. When the Jan. 31 burglary took place, the staff became aware of the first incident, Angiollo said, and immediately notified the hall by e-mail. Following the most recent Feb. 2 incidents, the staff left Fisher residents a phone message, Angiollo said.NDSP urges students to lock their rooms while away or while asleep, and not to allow people unknown to them into their residence halls, Johnson said.

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