Drunken Matthews Intruder Arrested

An intoxicated man who attempted to enter female students' rooms in Matthews Hall early yesterday morning was arrested by police on an outstanding warrant.

Officers of the Harvard University Police Department (HUPD) responded to a report of an unknown intruder at 1:29 a.m. Sunday, Lieutenant John F. Rooney said.

The intruder, a white male, followed a female student into Matthews, Rooney said.

"He came into our room and we started screaming," said Sarah E. Henrickson '01, who lives on the second floor of Matthews South.

"It sounded like he was trying to break the door down, but he was too drunk to know what he was doing."

The man then attempted to enter the room next door, students said.

"All of a sudden we heard someone fiddling with the door," said Jennifer L. Vogt-Lowell '01, Henrickson's next-door neighbor. "He opened the door and walked in."

Vogt-Lowell's roommate, Myehla Reed '01, said she called the police when Vogt-Lowell said," Who are you? Get out of our room!"

Henrickson said the man then ran downstairs.

Several HUPD officers arrived at Matthews within two minutes after the call, Henrickson said.

Rooney said the officers found the man in the building, smelling strongly of alcohol, and took him outside for a field interview.

The man gave several aliases, but a second man walking nearby who claimed he knew the suspect identified him as Amos Duncan.

The officers arrested Duncan after discovering he had an outstanding warrant.

A patrol officer for the Newburyport Police Department confirmed that Duncan wasnamed in a warrant for disorderly conduct andresisting arrest, issued on April 9.

While Duncan could have been detained oncharges of trespassing, the arresting officerschose to charge him solely with the outstandingwarrant, Rooney said.

Yesterday's incident was not without precedent.Last September, students in Hollis Hall calledpolice after discovering an unknown man showeringin the second floor bathroom.

The intruder was alarming even though no damagewas caused, the students said.

"We're all going to lock our doors from nowon," Henrickson said

While Duncan could have been detained oncharges of trespassing, the arresting officerschose to charge him solely with the outstandingwarrant, Rooney said.

Yesterday's incident was not without precedent.Last September, students in Hollis Hall calledpolice after discovering an unknown man showeringin the second floor bathroom.

The intruder was alarming even though no damagewas caused, the students said.

"We're all going to lock our doors from nowon," Henrickson said