Student branded on buttocks (Off Campus) – Dec. 2013
Hazing allegations were leveled at the Kappa Beta chapter of Sigma Chi.
A University of North Florida’s Police Department investigation found the actions in question happened to a pledge with his full consent.
The pledge, the center of the hazing allegations, said he and other members of the fraternity went to a residence off campus. A blow torch was visible in the residence, and a fellow pledge made a joke about getting a branding.
The pledge said he eagerly volunteered to get branded.
A fellow pledge heated up a wire hanger with the torch, and branded the pledge on the buttocks.
UNFPD closed the investigation because the branding act occurred with the full consent of the victim.
The case was referred to Student Conduct.
The case went under investigation by UNFPD on Dec. 9. It was cleared on Dec. 20, and obtained by the Spinnaker on Jan. 17.
Lock cut, bike gone (Lot 55) – Jan. 15
A student’s bicycle was considered stolen after a lock was cut and the bicycle missing.
The bicycle was parked and locked at a Lot 55 bicycle rack on Jan. 14.
The victim discovered it missing when he returned to the rack on the morning of Jan. 15, and the bicycle lock was left.
Officers did not obtain prints from the lock because the victim had handled it.
The bicycle was a beach cruiser with 26” tires.
There are no known suspects or witnesses.
Skateboard goes missing (Osprey Village) – Jan. 15
A student said his skateboard was stolen from his room.
The victim, who lives in Building B at Osprey Village, was not sure if his roommates were responsible for the theft.
The student said he left his skateboard leaning against his desk on Jan. 12, and found it missing on Jan. 15.
The skateboard, valued at $175, was a Looking Glass model manufactured by Sector Nine. It was blue and black, and had green gumball wheels and grip tape on it.
There are no known suspects or witnesses to the theft.
Parking pass considered stolen (Garage 38) – Jan. 15
After receiving a parking ticket, a student realized his UNF parking decal was missing.
The student parked on the fourth floor of Garage 38. He said he believed the decal was stolen between 10 p.m. on Jan. 14 and 10 a.m. on Jan. 15.
The decal, originally placed on top of an expired one, had been peeled away.
No further harm was done to the vehicle.
There are no known suspects or witnesses.
Student possibly mentally ill (Osprey Crossings) – Jan. 16
UNFPD investigated reports of a student who was possibly mentally ill
The student, 18, was the complainant.
Witnesses interviewed by UNFPD confirmed that the student said he spoke to his friends about the possibility of dying by age 21, saying he would have lived a good life.
The witnesses also said the student hung from a second story rail of Building R, acting as if he might jump.
Both witnesses were worried the student might hurt himself.
The student said he was stressed about school and serving as his fraternity’s risk manager.
The student repeatedly told UNFPD officers he didn’t have any intention of hurting himself or others.
He also said he was going home over the weekend to see a counselor with his mother.
The student gave officers permission to search his dorm room for anything he could possibly use to hurt himself.
Nothing was found in the search, and the investigation was closed.
Student contacts police over breakup (Student Union) – Jan. 16
An officer responded to the Student Union to investigate a potential stalking complaint.
The officer met with a student who said she was not being stalked, but wanted to make a record of a former relationship and break-up.
The student had a relationship with a female Resident Assistant in July 2013, and reported the RA in an unfounded complaint in Nov. 2013.
The student had not contacted the RA since then, and wanted that fact on record, saying she was attending a personal safety class.
Lighting equipment goes missing (Boathouse Lake) – Jan. 16
Three extension cords and one piece of lighting equipment, called a photo cell, went missing from around trees near Boathouse Lake.
The lighting equipment had been installed after Thanksgiving break.
The equipment, exposed on the ground, was checked nightly to ensure that the lights were plugged into the photo cells.
The extension cords and photo cell went missing between 7 p.m. on Jan. 13, and 7 p.m. on Jan. 14.
There are no known suspects or witnesses.
Email Joseph Cook at reporter31@unfspinnaker.com
