A university police officer said the armed robbery of a Saxon
suite early Sunday morning is being classified as a “home
invasion robbery” ““ meaning the assailants studied the
victims for some time before barging into their room, holding them
at gunpoint, and stealing thousands of dollars worth of their
property.
Such a classification may indicate that it was no accident that
three suspects targeted the suite of heralded freshman sprinter
Matthew Bruno, a football player and two other members of the track
team.
Meeting with a group of students Tuesday near the Saxon
volleyball courts, UCPD officer Andy Ikeda said the crime was
likely a home invasion robbery. Nancy Greenstein, UCPD director of
community services, did not say whether police suspected the
assailants had any particular reason for targeting the victims.
All three suspects were still at large Wednesday, more than
three days after the crime.
Greenstein said the department is “following all
leads” and added that police interviewed the victims and
other residents of Saxon. She had no additional information.
Just after 1 a.m. Sunday, Bruno and Christopher Dunbar, also a
freshman sprinter, were held in their room by assailants who,
according to Dunbar, had guns and a night stick. The suspects stole
cash, clothes, shoes, computers, CDs, DVDs, cell phones and other
property, according to Dunbar and police reports.
Bruno and Dunbar’s roommates ““ Demetre Howard, who
is also on the track team, and Joe Tomasello, a freshman cornerback
on the football team ““Â were not home at the time of the
attack, but are considered victims, since some of their property
was taken.
At track practice Wednesday, Bruno and Dunbar would not comment
about the robbery, saying their coaches had asked them not to talk
about it.
Art Venegas, head coach of the men’s track team, however,
said his athletes were free to discuss the robbery, but reminded
them that the UCPD’s investigation is still ongoing.
Venegas himself did not shy away from giving his perspective on
the aftermath of the case.
“They’re men,” he said of the victims.
“They’re dealing with it like men. They’re doing
a great job.”
As to whether he had any idea why anyone might want to rob
athletes on his team, Venegas said “These are personal issues
with these athletes, that we can only guess at. They are coming out
very solid and focused and that’s all I can (say) on
that.”
The athletic department has not launched an internal
investigation, according to Sports Information Director Bill
Bennett, and Venegas indicated that he was not too concerned about
why his players may have been targeted.
“They’re victims,” he said. “When
they’re not victims, that is when I have to step in. If they
were the ones robbing people, I’d have to find out
what’s going on.”
Venegas said he had not restricted anyone from speaking about
the robbery, but track and field athletes have regular contact with
a number of coaches. Bruno and Dunbar practice several hours each
day with sprinters coach Derek Loudenback.
Loudenback declined to comment on the robbery Wednesday. He
escorted Bruno to practice Tuesday, and met with both Bruno and
Dunbar after the team’s regular meeting that evening.
Twenty-five members of the track team, meanwhile, will travel to
Idaho on Friday for the second meet of the team’s indoor
season. Bruno will go to Idaho, but Dunbar and Howard are not on
the indoor roster and won’t compete until March.