UNM football player Brandon Lewis’ room was broken into Aug. 25. Lewis informed police that a teammate told him that freshman defensive back Ravonne Carter said he intended to steal from Lewis’ room the same night, according to a UNMPD report.
Police collected a silver knife with fingerprints believed to have been used in the break-in, and they are sending the knife to a lab for testing. The investigation is ongoing.
The report said $1,800 worth of electronic equipment was stolen, including a laptop and an XBOX 360. Carter lives in the apartment next to Lewis and teammate Jamarr Lyles, and the report said Lyles told Lewis that Carter said he was going to steal property belonging to Lewis.
Head football coach Mike Locksley said in a statement to the Daily Lobo that the situation will be rectified.
“I’m fully aware of the investigation involving a few members of my football team,” he said. “We will continue to cooperate with the proper channels in any way that we can.”
Lewis did not respond to phone calls Thursday evening, but said in the police report that he left his Student Resident Center apartment, located at 301 Redondo Dr. N.E., for 20 minutes Aug. 25.
When Lewis returned, it appeared someone pried the front door with a sharp object. Police found the bent silver knife in a box by the door, the report said.
Frank Mercogliano, assistant athletic director for communications, said Lewis is not pursuing charges, because Lewis received his belongings back. Mercogliano said he didn’t know who returned Lewis’ belongings, nor could he say when exactly the items were returned, only that it was “pretty quick” after the incident occurred.
Police told Lyles to fill out a witness statement, but he has yet to do so, UNMPD spokesman Robert Haarhues said. Mercogliano said if approached by police, Lyles will be encouraged to share what he knows about the alleged incident.
According to the report, Lewis said several football players gathered outside his room in the community section of the SRC apartment when he left Aug. 25. Dormitory access requires a secure form of entry, and neither front door appeared to be damaged — indicating that someone let the burglar into Lewis’ dorm room complex, the report stated.
Darryl Johnson and Calvin McDowney, both redshirt freshman offensive linemen and Lewis’ suite-mates, told police they were in their rooms when the alleged incident occurred and did not see or hear anything, the report said.
Police checked the players’ rooms for the missing items and found nothing the same night, the report said.
Mercogliano couldn’t say whether members of the team would be dismissed if the accusations are found to be true, but he said Locksley would be “swift and decisive” when deciding any punishment. He added that he “imagines” Locksley would dismiss members of the team if it’s found they were involved.
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The Athletics Department said in a statement that it will cooperate with the investigation.
“The matter is currently being looked into by the appropriate people, and if there has been some form of misconduct, it will be handled in the appropriate manner,” the statement read. “Coach Locksley has been very proactive in handling the situation within the confines of the team and the department. There will be no other statements regarding the matter at this time.”
