Suspects arrested in Southwest dorm burglary
By Dan O'Brien, Collegian Staff
October 26, 2005
Two men were arrested on the University of Massachusetts campus Monday after breaking into a ground-level dormitory room in the Southwest Residential Area, according to police.
Anthony C. Bellofatto, 18, of 313 Bainbridge St. in Malden was arrested and charged with breaking and entering in the daytime to commit a felony, larceny over $250 and carrying a dangerous weapon on school grounds; Matthew A. Salmeri, 18, of 95 Suffolk St. in Malden was arrested and charged with breaking and entering in the daytime to commit a felony and larceny over $250.
Bellofatto and Salmeri are UMass students.
Police say the two suspects were observed climbing out of a ground-floor dormitory room in the Moore dormitory at 3:08 p.m. Concerned witnesses called police.
According to Deputy Chief Patrick Archbald, police officers were on the scene within five minutes of the call.
Officers caught up with the suspects, later identified as Bellofatto and Salmeri, in the trees near Lot 11.
The suspects were "very evasive in answers to questions," Archbald said.
Police say Salmeri and Bellofatto stole over $500 in electronics from a student's dorm room.
After the suspects were arrested, neither had the money to be released on bail and both were subsequently transferred to the Hampshire County House of Corrections.
While arresting the individuals, officers reportedly found a knife on Bellofatto's person.
"If not for the diligence of the student calling us right away, this may have been an unsolved case," Archbald said.
Monday's burglary is the latest in a string of criminal incidences that have occurred on or near the UMass campus. Before Monday, the most recent incident of notice was an alleged sexual assault that took place Oct. 19 in a parking lot in Southwest. The most notable incident was Oct. 2 when six people, five of whom were UMass students, were stabbed on North Pleasant Street near several fraternities. On Sept. 25, police issued a "crime alert" after an alleged armed robbery, in which a Springfield gang member was found holding a .45 caliber pistol in a campus parking lot.
UMass police have not asked students to take any extra precautions in light of the recent serious crimes. However, Archbald reminds all students to take simple precautions, such as locking doors in light of the recent thefts and not walking alone late a night.
"We're not an island here," Archbald said. "Students become victims just as easily here as they can in a big city."
UMass police has posted safety tips for students on its Web site, www.umass.edu/umpd.
One of those safety tips is using a student escort service, something that Archbald says has not been used very much. Students have only used the service 21 times since the beginning of the fall 2005 semester.
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Copyright Daniel O�Brien and the Massachusetts Daily Collegian. This article may not be redistributed without written permission under United States law.