When returning to the locker room after winning the doubleheader against Heidelburg University on Thursday, March 16, the Bluffton University Softball team’s victorious mood quickly changed after realizing some players were missing at least $1,200 worth of personal property.
According to a report from the Bluffton Police Department, sometime between 2:15 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Thursday, someone gained access to the softball locker room and stole an iPad, an Apple Pencil, two sets of Apple Airpods, a JBL Clip 3 wireless speaker and a pair of low-top Nike Dunks. Athletes also reported to The Witmarsum that a drawstring cleats bag, a handheld pencil sharpener, a bracelet and a tube of mascara were also taken. Junior sports management major Erin Cicerella said they chose not to include those items in the official police report because of their low monetary value.
CLERY data from the Bluffton University website as of March 18.
According to crime statistics reported on the Bluffton University website as part of its student handbook, no instances of robbery or burglary were reported on campus in 2021 or 2020. No robberies were reported in 2019 with two instances of burglary reported in 2019. No data for 2022 was posted as of publication of this article.
“She [freshman Julia Tegeder] noticed all her stuff was open, all her drawers were open, and she said, ‘I don’t remember it being this messy when I left’,” said sophomore Hayley Lewis.
The players quickly realized all their bags were left open and items had clearly been moved, Lewis said.
Cicerella was the first to notice her Airpods were missing. Then, senior sports management major Grace Fillinger realized her iPad, Airpods and Apple Pencil were gone along with senior criminal justice major Samantha Urban’s JBL speaker and Lewis’s Nike Dunks.
Door to the softball locker room with new lock box. Photo by Payton Stephens.
Players told The Witmarsum that Athletic Director and Baseball Coach James Grandey was immediately notified and the Bluffton Police Department arrived at the scene around 8:30 p.m.
Bluffton Police observed no signs of forced entry. According to Sergeant Tyler Hochsetler, it is probable that the lock box used on the door of the locker room, which is located near the Burcky Gym, was inadvertently left unlocked.
“We are kind of limited as to what we can and can’t do as it pertains to the accessibility to things we have,” said Hochsetler. “We told the victims to contact their service provider for the electronic items that were stolen to see if their service providers could possibly locate the stolen items via GPS.”
Lock box attached to the softball locker room door. Photo by Payton Stephens.
Hochsetler said the police are relying on tips from the public when it comes to their investigation. Due to the number of people who touched the lockbox and protocols from the Bureau of Criminal Identification (DCI) used by the Bluffton Police Department, pulling fingerprints from the lockbox was out of the question, Hochstetler said.
Hochstetler and Hope Hannah were the officers who responded to the call. Upon arrival, Hochsetler had a brief conversation with Grandey about the situation, was shown the scene and introduced to the victims to make a report. Cicerella, Fillinger, Lewis and Urban are the four victims listed in the report.
On Friday, when the university was reached out to for comment on the incident and information on plans to prevent future property loss, Bluffton University Content Manager Tricia Bell provided the following written statement via email on behalf of Grandey:
“The University is disheartened by this violation of our Community of Respect and upset that members of the softball program have had their personal space disrupted in this way. A locker room is a sanctuary of sorts for team members, and they should feel confident that their personal areas are safe at all times, especially while competing. Building and Grounds changed the cores to the locker room doors and also reprogrammed the lock box used by the softball and soccer team to enter the locker room first thing [Friday] morning.”
As of 4:30 p.m. on Friday, March 17, Hochsetler said he had not received any official statement from Bluffton University.
Anyone with information on the incident or the stolen property is encouraged to contact the Bluffton Police Department tip line by calling (419)-369-2970 and asking to speak with Hochstetler.
