WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Purdue University police arrested a Lafayette man Tuesday (Dec. 30) for allegedly stealing computer equipment from the Meteorological Laboratory at 1305 McCormick Road.
Kevin R. Critser, 28, 3320 Mystic Lane, Lafayette, was charged with burglary and theft, said Purdue police detective Sgt. Matt Rosenbarger.
Police responded to an alarm at the building at 12:50 a.m. Tuesday. As officers stopped to open a gate into the area, a car approaching from the gate’s other side quickly turned around and sped off, Rosenbarger said. Police entered the area and found an abandoned blue Mitzubishi Eclipse stuck in the mud near the Purdue tennis complex.
Police obtained a search warrant for the vehicle and found computer equipment allegedly taken from the laboratory, Rosenbarger said. The car was registered to Critser, who was later found at the Country Villa Apartments in West Lafayette with an acquaintance. He was detained for questioning, and then arrested at 1 p.m.
Burglary is a Class C felony punishable by up to eight years in prison and a $10,000 fine. Theft is a Class D felony punishable by a maximum of three years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
