Campus police capture bike thief
The SMU Police Department caught the man they believeresponsible for a rash of bike thefts on campus over the past fewweeks Sunday.
SMU police received a call Sunday evening at approximately 6:30p.m. from Frank Santoni, a campus minister at the Neuhoff CatholicCenter. Santoni and another student were leaving Perkins Chapelafter that evening’s services and saw a man actingsuspiciously, standing next to the bicycle racks near PerkinsHall.
Santoni called police, and as he spoke with the policedispatcher, saw the man cut the chain locking a bike to the rackand ride off.
According to SMU Police Chief Michael Snellgrove, the SMU PDresponded immediately.
Officer Linda Korbelic was the first officer to spot the thiefriding the stolen bike eastbound on Binkley Avenue, approachingAirline Road.
The thief, later identified 52-year-old Kenneth Wayne White, sawKorbelic’s patrol car and immediately turned and headed backdown Binkely Avenue, where he saw Lt. Rico Jemmot approaching fromthe opposite direction.
Seeing he was cornered, White dropped the bike and ran from theofficers on foot. Lt. Jemmot pursued White on foot between theSigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity house and Letterman Hall andcaptured the thief near the Morrison Bell Track.
White was found with a pair of bolt cutters in his backpocket.
A convicted felon, White is currently on parole with numerousarrests for both state and federal offenses, for stealing mail andfalsely cashing checks issued by the Department of the Treasury.Snellgrove said the thief was booked into the University Park Jailfor Class B Theft and Felony Evading Arrest and Detention. Hisparole officer will be notified so revocation proceedings can beginimmediately. Snellgrove said White will most likely be returned toprison.
The police chief praised the two people who saw the theft,particularly Santoni for calling 911 to report the suspiciousactivity.
“It’s this kind of quick community response we areseeking through our Hilltop Watch Program and crime preventionseminars,” he said. “I encourage everyone on campus tocall the police anytime they see something or someone who is actingin a suspicious manner.”
