Crime suspect worked for Res. Living

Man suspected in break-ins The man who allegedly broke into rooms in W.E.B. DuBois College House and Stouffer College House last week was formerly employed by the University, Residential Living secretary Wanda Potts said yesterday. Potts said Curtis Owens, who has been implicated by students in the burglaries, worked as a desk receptionist in various residences around campus for a month at the beginning of this academic year. "He worked at the front desks," Potts said. "He was terminated because he kept leaving his station." Residential Living Director Gigi Simeone would not comment on Owens' employment history at the University, citing the confidentiality of the work records. Owens began working for the University on Sept. 6, 1993, said Records Assistant to Human Resources Information Management Department Mae Barnes. His "separation date" was October 4 of the same year. She added that he was "a temporary extra person." The University administration normally classifies people who work under 1,000 hours a year as A-5 employees. Simeone said A-5 employees are hourly employees, adding that most are non-work study University students. University Police Detective Supervisor Mike Carroll said Owens has been arrested several times by University Police for offenses including auto theft, receiving stolen property, criminal trespass and an outstanding bench warrant. "[Owens] failed to appear in court for two of the previous violations," Carroll added. Simeone said Residential Living sent a flier around to all dormitories on campus, which included his description and a picture. The flier also gave instructions to security guards that Owens should not be allowed access to any dormitories, she added. Simeone said Residential Living "usually, but not always" confiscates the PENNCards of employees who have been fired. First of all, though, her department "makes sure it gets deactivated." University Police Commissioner John Kuprevich said police confiscated and destroyed Owens' PENNCard after he tried to gain entry to Hill House last Friday. Carroll said University Police have no indication of how the suspect, whom Stouffer residents have alleged is Owens, allegedly entered their dorm and stole $200 dollars from a student's room last Saturday. Carroll also said that students should be extremely careful when signing guests into dormitories. "People shouldn't sign people in if they don't know who they are," Carroll said. "By signing someone in you really don't know, you defeat the entire security system of the entire residence." The suspect in the DuBois House break-in Sunday, Feb. 13 was allegedly signed in by a resident. Simeone said in the past, her department has accommodated individual buildings' requests for a stricter sign-in policy, like the one instituted in DuBois College House. But, she added that students have not requested stricter policies. Carroll said University Police detectives are currently investigating the Stouffer College House burglary. And Simeone said her department is currently considering whether to change its screening process for A-5 workers to one similar to the process used by McGinn Security Services.