WEST LAFAYETTE -- Three intruders, one armed with a handgun,broke into a Purdue University residence hall room and tried to robtwo students, police said.
The two students living in the Earhart Hall room toldinvestigators they woke up about 4 a.m. Sunday after the group cameinto the room. The group threatened to tie one of them up with ducttape and steal items, including a video game system.
The intruders fled when the two residents began shouting forhelp, campus police Capt. John Cox said.
Officers arrested James Richardson III, 20; Jovonee J. Thomas,19; and a 13-year-old boy, who are all from Gary, in a parking lotoutside the residence hall. Officers reported finding a handgun anda partial roll of duct tape on the three.
Cox said one of the students complained of neck pain butdeclined medical treatment.
Purdue officials said the three did not have any affiliationwith the school and were visiting two students who live in Earhartover the weekend, which is how they were able to enter lockedbuilding.
''During the day, our halls are pretty accessible,'' JosephBennett, Purdue's vice president for university relations, said.''But that late at night, they would not have had normal access.But they were visiting a friend who stays in that hall, and he wasable to check them in.''
All three were arrested on burglary and marijuana possessioncharges. Richardson and Thomas were being held Monday in theTippecanoe County Jail, while the juvenile was released to hisparents.
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