U. Police investigating thefts from Athletic Dept.

University Police detectives are investigating a series of burglaries at Weightman Hall, home of Penn's Athletic Department. In the past week, University Police reported three separate burglaries inside the main Athletic Department offices at 235 S. 33rd Street. The crimes began on October 1 and have resulted in the disappearance of several thousand dollars worth of electronic equipment. Although the investigation is at full speed, University Police do not yet have a main suspect, according to Penn Det. Ray Rodman. "We're stepping up what we can do and hopefully we can make an apprehension soon," Rodman said. None of the three incidents yielded signs of forced entry, although some property was damaged during the burglaries. "It appears to be the same individual or group of individuals," Rodman noted. Because the crimes were likely committed by the same person or persons, University Police have "absolutely" stepped up patrol in the area. "Hopefully we can catch him in the act," Rodman said. And because the investigation is ongoing, Rodman declined to discuss specifics. In the first incident on October 1, pieces of electronic equipment of unknown value were stolen from the second floor football office in Weightman Hall between 5:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. A glass wall divider was smashed during the burglary, according to the police report. Three days later, on October 4, a female University employee reported that a television and a clock were taken from the second-floor Dunning Coaches Office between 2:30 p.m. on October 1 and 9:30 a.m. on October 4. And on October 6, a male University employee reported that two Gateway laptop computers, valued at $6,400, and a Panasonic radio were stolen. Two desks were damaged during the break-in. Athletic Department spokesperson Shaun May, who has in office in Weightman Hall, offered a metaphor from the world of sports as a possible explanation for the multiple break-ins. "It's like basketball -- if somebody is hot, they'll take three or four shots in a row," May said.

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