Theft and Party in Parkwood Apartments Leads to Arrest

Police arrest a woman for pushing a police officer on the night of December 16, 2007. (Photo: Tyler Grove)

Immediately following last semester’s finals week, several residents of EMU’s Parkwood Apartments were the victims of robbery and vandalism. A combination of the thefts and a rowdy adjacent party resulted in a visit from the police as well as one arrest.

Around 11:45 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 16, 2007, senior Jen Dayton returned to the Parkwood apartment that she shares with fellow senior Christina Zaccharia, to find their residence ransacked and several valuables missing. Dayton immediately alerted her neighbors, recent EMU grad Dominick Porter and junior Billy Seidel. While Dayton called the Harrisonburg Police Department and Seidel contacted apartment manager Matthew Hunsberger, Porter went outside to find his car’s sound system missing. Another tenant reported his girlfriend’s car window broken. Vandals also emptied a trash bag around the living room of another resident of the same building while he fearfully waited, closed off in his room.

According to Dayton, as a police officer was taking statements, several people appearing to be intoxicated passed by asking about the location of an upstairs party. As the party in the apartment above grew larger and increasingly louder, Hunsberger and the officer walked upstairs to disperse the crowd and inquire about the robbery. In an attempt to find information amid the chaos, the officer initially refused to allow any partygoers to leave. According to Hunsberger, a few people in the crowd began to get increasingly restless and verbally abusive to the officer, who responded by calling for backup. Hunsberger reported that as the units were en route, one of the more aggressive partygoers began pushing the officer until he slipped down a few steps. The woman was subsequently arrested and three officers were required to escort her down the stairs and into the police car. Several of the woman’s friends were restrained as she and they shouted profanities and insults at the officers.

Following the arrest, officers began to allow friends of the tenant to leave. It is not known to what extent they questioned other members of the crowd. As the crowd dispersed, several members shouted obscenities at the other residents and insulted them for calling the police. Other officers searched the premises for stolen items, finding several of Dayton’s belongings as well as Zaccharia’s DVD player in trees adjacent to a window of the apartment where the party had taken place. Dayton stated that the items appeared to have been thrown from the window. The relation between the party and the robbery is still unclear, although residents suspect a few partygoers of being involved in the incident.

Residents are unclear about exactly what actions were taken by police in investigating the incident as well as any resulting leads. When the Weather Vane attempted to obtain copies of the police incident reports for the night in accordance with the Virginia Freedom of Information Act, the police refused, citing a clause excluding information that may disrupt an ongoing investigation or jeopardize the safety of individuals involved. Additionally, the police were uncooperative in relaying information about investigating officers as well as basic case information required by law to be available to Virginia residents and members of the media.

Residents reported suspicious individuals on the premises earlier in the night.
According to Dayton, a group of young men had apparently knocked on a few adjacent apartments asking for someone named Michelle. She suspects the men of looking for vacant residences, then attempting to enter and search for valuables.

Although several items were returned to Dayton, she claims that the majority of the items, estimated to be worth $800, are still missing. These include DVDs, jewelry and other valuables. Zaccharia’s DVD player was damaged and Porter’s sound system was not recovered.

Dayton said that she was mostly pleased with the way that Greg Becker, manager of all EMU owned apartments, responded to the situation. She stated that she was surprised with Becker’s timely response in spite of the holiday season. She and several other residents, however, question the lack of response from EMU’s security. Although security had never been called, Hunsberger, Dayton, and Porter question how the four-hour ordeal accompanied by sirens and flashing lights went seemingly unnoticed by security. Tenants were also confused as to why residents of other buildings were not informed about the break-ins.

Although it has been a month since the incident, Dayton relates that she now feels much less secure in her apartment. “I don’t feel nearly as safe, especially being a woman,” said Dayton.