May 07, 2008
They dubbed him the Yankee Clipper (apologies to Joe DiMaggio)
because he wore a Yankees cap, clipped the lock off lockers, and
then clipped the cash he found. Now he’s been arrested by the NYPD
after St. John’s Public Safety officers apprehended him in
Carnesecca Arena on April 28.
It was a combination of an attentive employee, good detective
work and cutting-edge technology that brought the perp—who has no
known affiliation with St. John’s—down.
As early as October 2007, when the first complaint was lodged,
Public Safety knew that someone was breaking into lockers in the
men’s locker room in Carnesecca and stealing cash. According to
Vice President of Public Safety Thomas Lawrence, the suspect was
seen on the University’s
digital-video surveillance system—one of the many technology
innovations installed on campus in the past few years—which showed
him outside the locker room around the time of several reported
thefts in October, March and at the end of April, when eight
lockers were broken into. Each time, only cash was stolen.
The suspect—a light complected, black male with a shaved head,
about 6’3”— had also been observed on the state-of-the-art
surveillance system using “creative means” to enter the building,
Vice President Lawrence says.
On the day of capture, April 28, the suspect attempted to enter
Carnesecca through a rear door. An observant building attendant
assigned to monitor that door encountered the suspect who was
allegedly seeking a bathroom. The attendant immediately recognized
the man from a photo that had been produced from the video and
circulated to Public Safety and Facilities personnel around the
Queens campus.
After she notified Public Safety, two officers were dispatched
to canvass the building, beginning their search in the locker room
where they eventually came face to face with the intruder. The
officers asked for identification, which the suspect was unable to
produce, and he was subsequently transported to the Command Center
and then turned over to the NYPD.
Later, after the police departed with their captive, bolt
cutters were found under a desk where the suspect had been sitting.
He has subsequently been charged with Criminal Trespass and
Criminal Possession of Burglars Tools.
Once again, St. John’s digital surveillance system—which allows
Public Safety to monitor all campuses from the Command Center,
identify and review incidents quickly and easily, view remote
locations in real time and review digitally-stored archival
footage—has proven to be a wise investment for St. John’s. This
latest incident is just one of a number of instances during the
past year in which digital surveillance enabled Public Safety to
identify and track an individual who appeared intent on causing
harm to individuals or property on or around campus, and in this
particular case, ultimately leading to an arrest.
Public Safety reminds the University community that the safety
of all on our campuses remains our highest priority. Report any
suspicious behavior you observe to the Department of Public Safety
immediately at the numbers below.
Queens Campus
Ext. 5252
(718) 990-5252
Staten Island Campus
Ext. 4487
(718) 390-4487
Oakdale Campus
911
(917) 642-4017
Manhattan Campus
Ext. 5155
(212) 277-5155
Call 1-888-STJ-2499 (1-888-785-2499) or visit http://www.stjohns.edu/ for emergency and university
closure information.