Lavietes Sports Office Robbed

Unidentified robbers broke into the athletic complex’s Lavietes Pavilion early yesterday morning, rummaging through the varsity basketball office and stealing thousands of dollars worth of equipment.

Harvard University Police Department (HUPD) spokesman Steven G. Catalano said officers responded to the call yesterday at 6:50 a.m. from Lavietes on a report of a breaking and entering.

“There was no sign of forcible entry,” said Catalano. “Several laptops and a video camera was stolen—well in excess of several thousands of dollars.”

According to Kathy Delaney-Smith, head coach of the women’s basketball team, the stolen items were all brand new, including a “very expensive” digital editing system.

“We just got ours in August,” said Delaney-Smith.

Team members were told of the robbery when they arrived at practice yesterday.

“They just got new equipment,” said Adrian L. Budischak ’08, a member of the women’s varsity basketball team. “It was really expensive—something like $10,000.”

Budischak said the stolen computers contained vital team records.

“The main problem is that hotel reservations and all of our traveling plans were made on those computers,” said Budischak. “They’ll be really hard to find.”

But a men’s basketball coach, who wished to remain anonymous, said the robbery will not set his team back in any noticeable way.

“They didn’t get nothing in recruitment,” he said. “All the stuff is replaceable. They’ll be in by the end of the week.”

Catalano said that late Sunday night at 10:42 p.m., HUPD received a call that three unidentified males were walking on Jordan Field carrying bags. Both Jordan Field and Lavietes are part of Harvard’s athletic complex in Allston.

HUPD’s police log, released online yesterday, called the incident “suspicious activity.”

“At this time, it is unclear whether those three individuals were involved in [yesterday’s] theft,” said Catalano. “The incident is under investigation.”

And last Tuesday, HUPD received a call that two laptops, two video cameras and a digital camera were stolen from the nearby Palmer-Dixon Fieldhouse, also part of the athletic complex.

Catalano also said it is unclear whether this incident is connected to yesterday’s robbery.

The vast majority of crime on campus are property crimes, according to Catalano, reaching upwards of about 550 thefts a year.

—Staff writer Robin M. Peguero can be reached at peguero@fas.harvard.edu.