Three fraternities experience theft in same weekend

In one weekend, three fraternities lost a total of about $13,960 in personal belongings in four separate incidents.

The Chapel Hill Police Department is still investigating the break-ins.

Between 1 a.m. Nov. 7 and noon Nov. 8, Sigma Nu, Delta Kappa Epsilon and Kappa Sigma fraternities were broken into and stolen from.

Chapel Hill police Lt. Kevin Gunter said that occasionally they receive calls concerning fraternity break-ins, but it is not usually all at once.

“Four in one night is definitely significant,” he said.

Two of the victims said their doors were unlocked.

Typically in cases like these, the police like to educate victims about locking their doors, Gunter said.

Kappa Sigma sophomore Graham Pitt and his roommate, Jeff Swain, a junior, had two laptops, an Xbox, the movie “Superbad” and a backpack taken from their room. Pitt said their door was unlocked.

Pitt said their computers were left charging in their room while they were downstairs and they returned to find them gone.

“Our room was the closest to the fire escape. We think someone walked in real quick and went in the first room they saw,” Pitt said. “It was weird because we were both in the house when it happened.”

A total of seven laptops were stolen from the three houses.

“I had a paper on (my computer) and a lot of music,” Pitt said.

Sigma Nu, which had the greatest value of items stolen, declined to comment. Missing belongings included three laptops, two backpacks and a polo T-shirt.

In addition to the reported incidents, Sigma Alpha Epsilon junior Chris Tantum said his items were stolen that night, but he didn’t report them because it seemed pointless. He said he’s missing a 20-inch TV, an Xbox and a backpack.

“I’ve just never heard of anyone getting their stuff back,” Tantum said. “But the thing that really concerns me is that it happened between 8 p.m. and 1 a.m. when we were all out at the cocktail,” he said.

These break-ins occurred only a week after police reported UNC junior Taylor Inscoe was stabbed after refusing Halloween visitor Stephen James Howard entry into the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity house.

Police would not speak about the individual investigations.

Interfraternity Council president Charlie Winn said while the council does implement a security plan for special events, it does not have an official overall plan.

In an e-mail, Winn wrote: “The recent increase in break-ins along with the stabbing incident on Halloween may spark some discussion amongst the council and the chapter presidents about some sort of security plan for the future.”

Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.