INDIANA COMPUTERS STOLEN FROM UNIVERSITY DORMIDS: Dorm theft suspect nabbed (Campus, 09/07/2004)Published Tuesday, September 7, 2004

The IU Police Department recovered more than $4,000 in CDs, DVDs, computer and video game equipment, and stereo components Sunday evening after the items had been stolen from a Forest Quad residence hall room earlier that afternoon.

The two victims, freshman roommates Brett Goldenhorn and Ernest Moore, left their room Sunday afternoon, and came back to find $4,500 worth of their possessions missing, according to an IUPD report. Hours later, the items were recovered in two cars parked outside the dorm and a suspect was arrested. Police arrested non-student Claudell Ellis, 24, of Gary, in the Forest Quad East parking lot on suspicion of involvement in the theft.

Moore left the door unlocked when he left the room Sunday because Goldenhorn had lost his key, and might have needed to get into the room, Moore said. Goldenhorn was on another floor of Forest when the crime occurred. Goldenhorn returned to the room later that afternoon to find almost everything of value missing.

"I walked into my room and didn't notice anything at first," Goldenhorn said, "Then I saw my whole desk was messed up. They had unplugged everything from my computer. Then I looked at my roommate's desk, and didn't see his (laptop) on it. I called him and asked him about it, he told me to look in his drawer and it wasn't there."

After talking to witnesses, IUPD officers suspect that the robbers might have been walking down hallways and checking doorknobs to see what rooms were unlocked.

"I would say that in almost 90 percent of dorm burglaries, the suspects enter through an unlocked door," IUPD Lt. Jerry Minger said. "We rarely have cases of doors being pried open, or lost/stolen keys being used,"

Moore was surprised at just how many things had been taken from the room.

"They stole my laptop, my stereo, his Gamecube, all of the games, all of our DVDs, my clipper set, his CD player," Moore said. "When Brett called, I couldn't even believe it had happened ... (The robbers) must have been pretty bold."

Soon after the robbery occurred, Moore said people began helping him and his roommate by giving them information to help them find their things.

At 10:15 p.m. Sunday, IUPD was called back to Forest with information that suspects might be trying to flee the campus with the goods taken from the dorm room. They then arrested Ellis.

All of Goldenhorn and Moore's possessions were recovered in the suspect's car, and another car belonging to an unnamed suspect.

"Thank God we got it all back," Moore said.

Ellis told officers at the time of his arrest he had not been involved in the robbery, and was holding the stolen goods for two other suspects.

The investigation is ongoing, and more arrests are possible in the case, Minger said.

-- Contact staff writer Mike Wilson at mhwilson@indiana.edu