WTHR.com is the news leader for Indianapolis and Central Indiana. Get the best news, weather, sports and traffic information from Channel 13.
West Lafayette, Nov. 7 (AP) - Nineteen Purdue University students who took part in late-night fraternity pledge rites have been arrested on theft, resisting arrest and underage drinking charges, police said.
The students were arrested Wednesday for acts that police said unfolded during initiation rituals at the Sigma Nu fraternity house on Oct. 20-21.
In addition to criminal charges, the students and the fraternity might face university sanctions.
Bob Taylor, the fraternity's campus adviser, said the incidents that resulted in the arrests "appear to be a prank gone bad" and that the fraternity was cooperating with campus officials and police.
"We recruit good kids and we certainly don't condone breaking laws and we don't condone underage drinking," Taylor said.
Purdue police Capt. Ron Fosnaugh said the ongoing investigation might yield more charges and arrests.
It began after three students were arrested Oct. 21 for stealing a golf cart and trying to steal a residence hall ping pong table.
Police said all 22 students facing charges had spent the night of Oct. 20 talking and drinking alcohol provided by fraternity members for a pledge gathering.
Early on Oct. 21, the students decided to steal items as trophies for the house to commemorate joining the fraternity.
One group of students tried to steal a pingpong table from the campus' Tarkington Hall, but awakened residents, who police said later identified some of those involved.
Another group tried to steal a golf cart valued at $4,000 from Purdue's Grand Prix race track, but were arrested a short time later after abandoning it in a parking lot.
The arrest of those three students provided officers with information that led to the 19 other arrests.
(Copyright 2002 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
