The Syracuse Police Department has arrested a suspect in a string of vending machine break-ins Feb. 26, according to Public Safety.

Over the last week food and money were stolen from vending machines in Washington Arms Hall, Watson Hall, DellPlain Hall and the Skytop Office Building. Capt. Drew Buske of Public Safety said he believes the suspect arrested on Feb. 26 may be involved in the recent break-ins.

‘There’s one person who we feel is responsible for the majority of these break-ins,’ Buske said. He refused to identify the suspect, although he said the suspect is not an SU student or employee.

Buske said the suspect has been arrested on charges of breaking into vending machines throughout Syracuse before.

‘He’s a subject that is known to law enforcement,’ Buske said.

On Feb. 26 at about 10 a.m. a Public Safety officer on Quad patrol spotted the suspect, who was already wanted by the police in connection with a string of vending machine break-ins at Upstate Medical Center, according to a Public Safety report. After a brief foot chase the suspect was apprehended and detained until the Syracuse Police arrived and arrested him.

The suspect claimed he was on-campus to buy tickets for a basketball game, Buske said. A tire iron was found in the suspect’s possession.

‘We have reason to believe he was casing a building to commit a crime,’ Buske said.

Buske said unless Public Safety had apprehended the suspect, there could have been numerous vending machine break-ins on campus.

‘Only through the keen observation of Officer Glenn Follett were we able to apprehend him and we probably prevented a number of crimes being committed that day,’ Buske said.

Buske and William Billy, warehouse manager for Syracuse Food Services who oversees vending on campus, declined to specify how much money was stolen from the machines or the types of machines tampered with due to the current investigation.

Another vending machine was broken into in Dellplain Hall by unidentified person(s) sometime between Saturday at 1:30 p.m. and Sunday at 7:30 a.m, according to a Public Safety report.

 

Published on March 8, 2005 at 12:00 pm