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ngdawg · 10-30-2004, 12:09 PM

http://www.nj.com/news/ledger/middle...1988133870.xml

Frat houses linked to Halloween heists
Saturday, October 30, 2004
BY TOM HAYDON
Star-Ledger Staff
A Halloween display on the front lawn of the TKE fraternity at Rutgers University in New Brunswick features 13 huge lawn balloons, handmade scarecrows, pumpkins and bales of hay.

The display is the most elaborate on frat row. The only problem: All of the decorations had been reported stolen from a Franklin nursery.

"They were just helping themselves, like there was nothing to it," said Anna Coghan, one of the owners of the Fama Landscaping and Nursery on Route 27, from which the decorations were stolen.

The TKE house was the second fraternity house at Rutgers University where items stolen from Fama were found in the last two days. On Wednesday night, 25-pound pumpkins and handmade scarecrows were stolen from the nursery, and Coghan found them the next day, with the price tags still attached, in front of the Squam fraternity house on College Avenue in New Brunswick.

"I was furious. We expect some theft being in business, but this was just very arrogant," said Coghan, 50, whose 20-year-old son attends the university. "We're a small business, not a Home Depot where you can write it off."
Squam students were given a choice to either return the decorations or be arrested. Coghan said they returned the pumpkins and everything else. Fama was also promised an apology letter from the fraternity.

The TKE members avoided criminal charges by giving Fama $1,300 for the blow-ups, 50 pumpkins and 30 bales of hay.

"It basically wiped away everything. There are no charges," said Franklin Township police officer Amber Sincak.

TKE members, however, could still face charges. South Brunswick police went to the house yesterday and recovered automated Halloween mannequins and figures that been stolen from the front lawn of Carolyn and Thomas Dardani in South Brunswick.

"When the detective called me with the news this morning, I was shocked and then very relieved," Carolyn Dardani said. "I was also happy they found it at a fraternity because it meant it was the work of kids."

Dardani said she heard the thefts were part of members pledging the fraternity.

"You don't steal from people," she said. "There are other ways to pledge a fraternity than stealing."

The figures, which Thomas Dardani made, are used in a popular haunted trail and hay ride held annually in a South Brunswick park that the couple runs with the help of 150 volunteers.

After the theft Wednesday night, Coghan took matter into her hands and started searching around the university.

On Thursday, she saw Fama scarecrows with her family's price tag still on at the Squam fraternity house on College Avenue. She said she peeked in the window of the fraternity house and saw their pumpkins on the kitchen table, and then called Franklin police.

Yesterday, after discovering two more of the blow-ups were stolen overnight, Coghan returned to New Brunswick, found the TKE lawn on Union Street covered with the ornaments, and started screaming at the students.

One man at the house yesterday afternoon identified himself as a TKE member and said the ornaments were assembled on the lawn Thursday night. The man, who declined to give his name, said the fraternity had owned the balloons for years.

When asked why police were at the house, he and other members declined to comment.

South Brunswick police Detective James Ryan said officers are still investigating the case to determine the identity of the people who took the figures from the Dardanis.

University officials said they will be talking with Franklin and South Brunswick police to conduct their own investigation of the fraternities. ***

This is absolutely, to ME, unacceptable, irresponsible, childish behavior from people who, in any other venue, will declare themselves to be adults with adult rights. Courts will mete out proper punishment, maybe..I say, let their parents have at them. If it were MY kid, rest assured his life of crime would be short and his finances even shorter as I'd cut his funds and make sure he paid back two-fold.

10-30-2004, 12:09 PM	#1 (permalink)
ngdawg peekaboo Location: on the back, bitch	Is this normal behavior for frat houses? http://www.nj.com/news/ledger/middle...1988133870.xml Frat houses linked to Halloween heists Saturday, October 30, 2004 BY TOM HAYDON Star-Ledger Staff A Halloween display on the front lawn of the TKE fraternity at Rutgers University in New Brunswick features 13 huge lawn balloons, handmade scarecrows, pumpkins and bales of hay. The display is the most elaborate on frat row. The only problem: All of the decorations had been reported stolen from a Franklin nursery. "They were just helping themselves, like there was nothing to it," said Anna Coghan, one of the owners of the Fama Landscaping and Nursery on Route 27, from which the decorations were stolen. The TKE house was the second fraternity house at Rutgers University where items stolen from Fama were found in the last two days. On Wednesday night, 25-pound pumpkins and handmade scarecrows were stolen from the nursery, and Coghan found them the next day, with the price tags still attached, in front of the Squam fraternity house on College Avenue in New Brunswick. "I was furious. We expect some theft being in business, but this was just very arrogant," said Coghan, 50, whose 20-year-old son attends the university. "We're a small business, not a Home Depot where you can write it off." Squam students were given a choice to either return the decorations or be arrested. Coghan said they returned the pumpkins and everything else. Fama was also promised an apology letter from the fraternity. The TKE members avoided criminal charges by giving Fama $1,300 for the blow-ups, 50 pumpkins and 30 bales of hay. "It basically wiped away everything. There are no charges," said Franklin Township police officer Amber Sincak. TKE members, however, could still face charges. South Brunswick police went to the house yesterday and recovered automated Halloween mannequins and figures that been stolen from the front lawn of Carolyn and Thomas Dardani in South Brunswick. "When the detective called me with the news this morning, I was shocked and then very relieved," Carolyn Dardani said. "I was also happy they found it at a fraternity because it meant it was the work of kids." Dardani said she heard the thefts were part of members pledging the fraternity. "You don't steal from people," she said. "There are other ways to pledge a fraternity than stealing." The figures, which Thomas Dardani made, are used in a popular haunted trail and hay ride held annually in a South Brunswick park that the couple runs with the help of 150 volunteers. After the theft Wednesday night, Coghan took matter into her hands and started searching around the university. On Thursday, she saw Fama scarecrows with her family's price tag still on at the Squam fraternity house on College Avenue. She said she peeked in the window of the fraternity house and saw their pumpkins on the kitchen table, and then called Franklin police. Yesterday, after discovering two more of the blow-ups were stolen overnight, Coghan returned to New Brunswick, found the TKE lawn on Union Street covered with the ornaments, and started screaming at the students. One man at the house yesterday afternoon identified himself as a TKE member and said the ornaments were assembled on the lawn Thursday night. The man, who declined to give his name, said the fraternity had owned the balloons for years. When asked why police were at the house, he and other members declined to comment. South Brunswick police Detective James Ryan said officers are still investigating the case to determine the identity of the people who took the figures from the Dardanis. University officials said they will be talking with Franklin and South Brunswick police to conduct their own investigation of the fraternities. *** This is absolutely, to ME, unacceptable, irresponsible, childish behavior from people who, in any other venue, will declare themselves to be adults with adult rights. Courts will mete out proper punishment, maybe..I say, let their parents have at them. If it were MY kid, rest assured his life of crime would be short and his finances even shorter as I'd cut his funds and make sure he paid back two-fold.