An MU freshman was arrested early Thursday after a break-in incident at the Kappa Delta sorority house.
At about 3 a.m. Thursday, a Kappa Delta resident called the Columbia Police Department about possible intruders in the house.
The resident initially reported three men inside the house, but CPD spokeswoman Jill Wieneke said officers were only able to locate freshman James Tyra running out of the back of the house.
“Officers searched the area but did not locate the other two,” Wieneke said in an e-mail.
Tyra, 19, was arrested on suspicion of first-degree burglary but charged with first-degree trespassing. He was released from the Boone County Jail on Friday after posting $500 bond. Wieneke said the suspects’ motivation is still under investigation, and there was no mention of alcohol being involved.
“I think due to the recent sexual assault on campus and the strange case we had last week, there is fear that the motive in this case was sexual in nature,” Wieneke said. “There is no information we have that supports that.”
Wieneke said these incidents are not uncommon in Greek communities, but they can lead to legal consequences.
“As many people know, young men have been ‘breaking into’ sorority houses for years, and vice versa, to steal composite photos, etcetera, as part of regular Greek ‘traditions,’” Wieneke said. “These activities are not as harmless as they used to be because of increased fear of crime and law enforcement taking the matter more seriously.”
Wieneke said that, other than seeing the intruders, it appears the caller had no interaction with the suspects. Nothing was taken from the house and no other arrests have been made in the case.