An unidentified man hid in one of the men's bathroom stalls in the Caldwell Fieldhouse last night, taking photos of members of the men's lacrosse and track teams as they were in various states of undress. A member of the lacrosse team confronted the man, who then ran away.
"I was shaving and there was some other guy who was getting out of the shower, and he noticed that the guy was taking pictures from beneath the stall," varsity track runner Ted Price '10 recalled of the incident. Price then left the bathroom and returned to the track locker room to change.
At that point, lacrosse players gathered outside the bathroom. As the illicit photographer walked out, the man in charge at the lockers yelled at him while the lacrosse players followed the suspect out the door. First walking and then jogging, they chased the suspect, who managed to disappear after rounding a corner, Price said.
Public Safety responded to a call from one of the athletes, Lt. Gary Nuttall said, though the suspect was gone by the time officers arrived. Public Safety had not found the suspect as of press time, but preliminary interviews provided a general description.
"The suspect was described as a white male, 6 feet tall, in his late 20s to early 30s, with long dirty blonde hair, a mustache and lip ring, wearing a black leather jacket, black pants, dark boots and carrying a camera," the Campus Safety Alert email said.
Price said he had heard from friends that the man sported a "well-done mullet and had a hat on, and he had a handlebar moustache."
The Caldwell Fieldhouse does not have a proximity card security system and was unlocked at the time of the incident, Nuttall said.
The man had been in the building earlier in the evening, Price said, but left when he was discovered by the "head locker guy." He reentered with the lacrosse players when the doors were unlocked again and hid in the bathroom.
Bryan Sharkey '09, a runner for the varsity track team, just missed the incident.
"I was actually there two minutes before it happened because I went in to say goodbye to one of my friends who was in the shower," he said. "Supposedly, one of the last guys who walked by the side of the stall [where the man was hiding] was one of my friends."
"It was just a weird situation," he added.
Price had a similar reaction to the crime. "It was disturbing," he said, adding that the event was especially jarring following the shootings at Virginia Tech on Monday.
"I wish that the lacrosse players had actually done something about it and chased him down and apprehended him," he said. He added, though, that he thought they made the smart decision, since the suspect might have been armed.
Nuttall said this is the first crime of its kind that he has seen at Princeton. "I've been here close to 15 years and I can't recall any incident like this," he said.
Members of the lacrosse team who witnessed the incident declined to comment or could not be reached.
Read More
Joseph ’25 next Young Alumni Trustee in 21 percent turnout election
Vitus LarrieuGil Joseph ’25 won the Young Alumni Trustee election, which saw 21 percent turnout. Joseph, Stephen Padlo ’25 and Ben Wachspress ’25 competed in the final round of elections after advancing from a notably large primary in April.
Gil Joseph ’25 won the Young Alumni Trustee election, which saw 21 percent turnout. Joseph, Stephen Padlo ’25 and Ben Wachspress ’25 competed in the final round of elections after advancing from a notably large primary in April.
‘A brilliant young contemporary writer and a beautiful human being’: Remembering Lauren Blackburn ’26
Victoria Davies and Caitlyn TabladaBlackburn was found deceased by authorities on April 25, several days after he was reported missing. He was 23 years old at the time of his death and is remembered by friends and mentors as a brilliant writer, voracious learner, and loving friend. A family obituary said he passed away after a “courageous battle with bipolar disorder.”
Blackburn was found deceased by authorities on April 25, several days after he was reported missing. He was 23 years old at the time of his death and is remembered by friends and mentors as a brilliant writer, voracious learner, and loving friend. A family obituary said he passed away after a “courageous battle with bipolar disorder.”
GSG approves audit, delays budget approval after ‘insufferable’ meeting
Nikki HanThe final Graduate Student Government (GSG) meeting for the semester lasted more than an hour and a half when discussions over the proposed budget for the next year and a proposed Student Life Fee of $100 turned controversial.
The final Graduate Student Government (GSG) meeting for the semester lasted more than an hour and a half when discussions over the proposed budget for the next year and a proposed Student Life Fee of $100 turned controversial.