Police on theft at frat house: UO football players 'are not suspects'
EUGENE, Ore. -- A fellow student is accusing two University of Oregon football players of theft at a campus fraternity house, but police said the two "have not been arrested, are not suspects and are not people of interest."
According to OregonLive.com, Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity member Max Wolfard accused two UO football players, quarterback Jeremiah Masoli and wide receiver Garrett Embry, of the thefts early Sunday morning.
News of the accusation spread quickly via Twitter and other social networking sites Sunday and Monday.
Eugene police spokeswoman Melinda Kletzok told KVAL News the case has been assigned to a detective and an investigation is underway.
Regarding the two athletes, however, Kletzok told KVAL News Monday morning they "have not been arrested, are not suspects and are not people of interest." She did not correct that statement when KVAL News called again Monday afternoon to confirm the story.
Then Monday evening, Kletzok issued a written statement:
"We have not released any information of the kind you are referring to. The media inquired yesterday about a theft case at a frat house. Since it is an open case, under investigation, we have not released any details from the case except to acknowledge EPD took a theft report at 12:48 a.m., January 24, 2010 at 812 E. 14th Avenue. We have no reason to release names of victims or persons of interest or suspects at this time."
The police department denied a KVAL News request for a copy of the police report, saying it is an ongoing investigation.
KVAL News went to the SAE house on campus in an effort to talk with Wolfard and confirm or correct information attributed to him.
The man who answered the door said "he's not in right now, and at this point we have no comment."
KVAL News also spoke to UO athletic department spokesman Dave Williford, who said he has heard nothing that implicates the two players.
"Apparently something occurred," he said Monday morning. "At this stage it has not been substantiated that any U of O student athletes are involved."
Monday afternoon, Williford said the fraternity had contacted the athletic department about possible student-athlete involvement in the incident.
