USF's Greek housing back to normal after break-in
Residents of the sorority and fraternity houses say they still feel safe living on campus.
By DONG-PHUONG NGUYEN
Published July 28, 2006
TAMPA - Inside the Sigma Nu fraternity house at the University of South Florida, a communal television was tuned to cable but no one was around to watch it.
A day after two teens apparently forced their way into the Sigma Nu house in search of drugs, USF's Greek Village was relatively quiet, save for a few residents who took out trash, chatted on cell phones or headed to their cars to run errands.
Wednesday's noontime break-in, which resulted in the arrests of two teens, seemed to have little effect on the small number of students living in Greek housing this summer.
Erin Baker, a 21-year-old member of Delta Gamma, said drugs can be found in Greek Village, but they're not widespread.
"It may be at a few houses, but it's not at all houses," she said after dumping trash in a bin. "It shouldn't reflect on everyone just because it's a few people."
With many students gone for the summer, the only thing residents have had to deal with are car break-ins and people throwing eggs. Otherwise, the residents hang out at the Greek pool or stay inside their houses.
"I feel safe in my house, and we all get along," she said, "It was kind of shocking to hear about the guys with the guns."
According to university police, Chad Pasquale Stabile, 18, and Torenzo Smith, 16, went to the Sigma Nu house in search of drugs about 12:30 p.m. Wednesday. Stabile told officers he had purchased drugs from someone living in the Sigma Nu house a day before. One teen carried a pellet gun, police said.
A resident, 22-year-old Nicholas Almerico, was walking through the hall when he saw the pair of strangers, so he ran to his room, according to police. As the intruders were banging on his door, he called 911.
The men drove off in a friend's yellow Saturn and were found at the Palm Lake apartments, located just east of the campus. The suspects were charged with burglary and possession of drugs.
USF police Sgt. Mike Klingebiel said it does not appear that Almerico was an intended target. An investigation is continuing into the apparent drug deal that Stabile talked about, Klingebiel said.
"There's no indication that the victim was at all involved in any kind of drug trade or anything like that," Klingebiel said.
He called Wednesday's incident kind of surprising.
"We do encounter recreational use on campus," Klingebiel said. "Rarely do we come across any amounts that could be qualified as dealing."
Greek Village, built in 2003, houses 14 fraternities and sororities in a cluster of two- and three-story buildings.
Despite its proximity to the University's police station, Greek Village sits just south of Fletcher Avenue, which makes it an easy target for crime, said 19-year-old Alex Morrison, who lives in the Alpha Omicron Pi house.
"It's not the safest place in the world," she said. "But I feel pretty safe here."
Meanwhile, her mom, Cindy Morrison, who was visiting from Vermont, said she'd rather her daughter live in the sorority house than in the dorms and off-campus apartments.
"They are very supportive of each other and watch out for each other," Morrison said of her daughter's Alpha Omega Pi sisters. "I don't have any concerns at all."
Thomas Miller, USF dean of students, said the men were able to enter the house because students had rigged the lock on an exit to remain open.
"We're going to spend a fair amount of time emphasizing safety and security issues" when fall classes begin in August, he said.
Dong-Phuong Nguyen can be reached at (813) 269-5312 or nguyen@sptimes.com.