The Hawk

Issue date: 11/17/06 Section: News

Each Jeep was found in the Merion Gardens parking lot with a window smashed in as well as its ignition destroyed.

On Nov. 12, around 1:20 a.m., Jason Baker, '08, looked out the window of his Merion Gardens apartment and saw a man smashing the passenger window of a Jeep in the parking lot below. Once Baker saw the man reach into the car and unlock it, he realized he needed to report the incident immediately. The student rushed downstairs to the front desk and informed the security guard on duty of what he saw in the lot behind the building. The security guard immediately contacted the police, who showed up in a matter of minutes while security arrived just moments later. The man had broken into a car and started it in an attempt to leave the Merion Gardens lot, but was unable to since the Philadelphia Police had arrived and blocked his only way out. The police caught him after he left the car and ran on foot toward the train tracks behind the lot. Baker identified the man, who is currently in police custody. The man had broken into three Jeeps parked in the lot.

"He just smashed the passenger window, climbed in and ripped the cover off the ignition." Baker reported, "He wasn't after a stereo or anything. Looks like he just wanted to hotwire the cars."

Once the man was apprehended, the case was transferred from the Philadelphia Police to the Merion Police. The Philadelphia Police were involved since Saint Joseph's Security works with them each night, giving an officer a radio that connects them to St. Joe's Security.

"We work with the Philadelphia Police," explained Bill Mattioli, Director of Public Safety, "because all of the problems are on this [the Philadelphia] side of campus." The attempted car theft was on the Merion side and yet the Philadelphia Police still responded to the call, but passed the case on to Merion Police after the arrest was made.

Although the man who is responsible for the car break-ins has been taken into custody, there still remains the issue of safety as well as damage done to property. "St. Joe's is not responsible for incidents that are a matter of personal insurance. It doesn't matter if it is students, residents, or faculty. It is a personal insurance matter," explained Mattioli.

Yet when one signs up for a parking decal on any St. Joe's lot, there are no papers to be signed indicating that Saint Joseph's University is not liable if anything were to happen to one's vehicle. Parking in a campus lot should be more secure than parking on the street and Mattioli agreed, saying, "Most cars broken into are on the street around campus, not many are in parking lots. It is very rare."

Continued...

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