Fraternity members chase down intruders
By Laura Rillos KVAL NewsEUGENE, Ore. -- You could say the members Univeristy of Oregon's Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity are fighting crime -- literally. Following a series of thefts and burglaries, the fraternity is on high alert. So when members saw two strangers in their house late Thursday night, they followed them. Sophomore Ingmar Kemer says the two suspects, Nicholas Robert Nash and David Alec Mills, tried to "card into rooms." "That means you take a card and just slide it into the door and it pops open," said Kemer. Kemer said he and his fraternity brothers confronted the men, who tried to run away. Pointing to a scrape on his neck, Kemer said, "This is me trying to catch one of the first guys, I caught ahold of his coattail when he was trying to run down the stairs and I slammed into a wall." Kemer says they caught both of the suspects, then called police. Eugene Police did not find any stolen property on the suspects. They cited David Alec Mills, 18, on criminal tresspassing charges. Officers arrested Aaron Ray Johnson, 19, on criminal trespassing charges. According to EPD spoksperson Melinda Kletzok, officers arrested Johnson because he was being uncooperative. Remarkably, chasing down a suspect is nothing new for the fraternity. The same thing happened on Saturday. At a private party, frat members witnessed someone stealing a purse. Sophomore Matthew Hanna said he chased down that suspect -- Nicholas Robert Nash. "I heard someone say, hey, that guy stole my girlfriend's purse," said Hanna. "I walked down the stairs, saw someone shooting out the door, so I chased him out the door to the Old Pancake House parking lot. I tackled him to the ground." When police arrived, they found several IDs for other people in Nash's possession, according to Kletzok with Eugene police. They also found a laptop belonging to another fraternity member. Nash, 18, was arrested on charges of burglary, identity theft, unlawful use of computer and unlawful possession of meth. Kemer and Hanna play down their apprehensions. "I just knew he was leaving my house, where I sleep, where I live and I didn't want him coming back," said Hanna. "I just knew he was leaving my house, where I sleep, where I live and I didn't want him coming back," said Hanna.These two incidents included, frat members have reported six thefts of burglaries since August. "A $600 bike was gone, then we've had a digital camera, iPods, another laptop," said Sandi Swenson, the fraternity's chef. She named several other items and said she's also caught intruders wandering the halls. She caught one person stealing food from the kitchen. The fraternity members are being careful to lock doors and question people they don't recognize, said Swenson. She says they are considering installing a security system. |
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