Toy Gun Scares Off Suspected Burglar

Joshua Levin '02 used a neon orange dart gun to hold a stranger outside his Pforzheimer suite at gunpoint Tuesday morning, thinking the encounter was part of the House's springtime "Gotcha" game.

But it was not until the man escaped that Levin realized the stranger may have been responsible for the burglary of two laptops and a wallet from Levin's suite.

Police announced yesterday that thanks to photo line-ups, the alleged burglar has been positively identified.

Levin described the stranger he saw near his room as a 30-year-old, tall, lanky, light-skinned black male wearing dark clothing from head to foot.

According to Peggy A. McNamara, spokesperson for the Harvard University Police Department (HUPD), HUPD will file a criminal complaint "very shortly"--possibly as early as today.

Levin said he first noticed the man standing in the kitchen area of the third floor of Comstock Hall as he headed to take a shower.

"He was probably waiting for people to go take their showers," Levin said.

As Levin left the bathroom, he said a friend warned him that the loitering man might be waiting to "kill" him as part of the "Gotcha" game--in which House residents attempt to "kill" other players by shooting them with plastic dart guns.

Levin said he then sneaked down the hallway and surprised the robber with his dart gun.

"Who are you? Who sent you to kill me?" Levin said he screamed at the man.

At that point, Levin said, the man became very flustered and started muttering about coming to get something from "Mr. Abelson,"--another student on the floor who's name is posted on one of the hallway's doors.

Then Levin said he yelled at him, "Who the hell are you?"

According to Levin, the intruder apologized and fled the area.

Levin and his suitemates contacted the House's superintendent when they realized two laptops and a wallet were missing from their suite. The superintendent contacted HUPD.

McNamara yesterday refused to release the suspect's name, saying it might jeopardize HUPD's investigation. She confirmed, however, that he had no Harvard affiliation.

"This is the very preliminary stages of the investigation," she said.

Levin sent a warning to fellow House residents over the House's open e-mail list, known as Pfoho-Open.

He urged students to keep their doors locked, since his suite door had been unlocked.

About 40 people began the spring round of Team Gotcha on Sunday night, according to Anna C. Gay '02, one of the two Pfoho "Gotcha Goddesses."

"Josh is being hunted by a team in the suite right next to him," Gay said. "Josh is kind of on edge right now."

McNamara said police and College administrators strongly discourage "Gotcha" and a similar game called "Assassin."

"The whole game in its entirety is very dangerous," McNamara said. "It's very dangerous with the weapons looking as real as they do now."

Two years ago, police officers pulled their guns and stopped two students who had realistic-looking guns in the Quincy House courtyard during a game of "Assassins."

In general, McNamara said it is a bad idea to detain suspicious people with guns--"real or otherwise."

In fact, she said police discourage students from confronting suspicious people at all.

"Don't invade their space. It escalates an already tense situation," McNamara said. "Just contact the police department."