Notre Dame Security/Police arrested a man for trespassing on campus Thursday afternoon. The suspect, a 58-year old-male, was apprehended at approximately 3:10 p.m. in front of the Main Building after soliciting money from a Holy Cross priest, said Chuck Hurley, NDSP assistant director. The suspect was transported to St. Joseph County Jail and remained in custody Thursday evening.The individual, who NDSP officials say was previously issued a trespassing warning and told not to return to campus, allegedly confronted a priest and asked for money. An officer patrolling the area noticed the encounter and approached to investigate, Hurley said."The officer observed that a priest was approached by this individual and [he] saw an exchange then occur which he thought to be suspicious," Hurley said.Hurley declined to identify the priest or elaborate on the nature of their encounter but suggested that it mirrored past incidents where members of the Notre Dame community were asked to donate money to a needy individual."It's the same situation [as when] someone approaches a student with a hard luck story and asks for $20 or $30," he said. "It's a problem that occurs ... periodically."If a student is approached by someone in need, Hurley said, he should notify NDSP so the department can assess the situation and direct the individual to the appropriate organizations. More often than not, Hurley said, the individual's story doesn't check out and money given with the intent of helping ends up funding a drug addiction.
