Steven Henshaw: Kutztown University police stop 2 trespassers at ladder to Old Main clock tower
Dec. 2—Kutztown University police arrested two trespassers, including a freshman student, in the uppermost room of Old Main attempting to access the clock tower, officials said in court documents.
The arrest occurred Nov. 8.
A custodian called campus shortly before 11 p.m. after discovering the door handle to the room on the fifth floor with access to the clock tower had been broken.
Arrested were Sonya J. Ritter, 18, Quakertown, who is the student, and Connor M. Dress, 18, of Downingtown, who is not listed as a student, a university spokesman said.
Police gave this further account:
Two officers arrived to find the door ajar.
They entered the room and found another door, the one that opens to the ladder to the clock tower, was also broken. The officer was about to open that door when someone on the other side pulled it shut.
The officer in turn pulled the door open but someone was on the other side attempting to keep it closed.
He managed to get the door open and saw Ritter at the top of the stairs trying to go up the ladder and Dress by the door.
Dress headed for the stairs and started to go up.
The officer ordered both of them to stop, and Ritter and Dress came down. Ritter told police she was with Dress as he broke the door handles.
She turned herself in for arraignment Wednesday night in Reading Central Court and remained free to await a hearing after appearing before District Judge Michael G. Hartman.
Dress has not been arraigned.
