Aquatic Center broken into Sunday Night.

Eileen English
State Hornet
Published November 3, 1999

An attempted robbery at the CSUS Aquatic Center located at Lake Natoma netted a suspect who was caught red handed.

The first alarm sounded at about 3:15 a.m., alerting Facilities Manager Bob Whitford at home. Both Whitford and campus police arrived within 15 minutes.

"While I was in transit, the second alarm sounded," said Whitford.

Upon arriving on the scene it was discovered that the boathouse had been broken into.

"A door that was supposed to be closed was ajar," said Whitford.

A continued search revealed that some kayak paddles were moved and in disarray.

"As we were discussing the situation, a voice from about 10 feet behind us chimes up," Whitford said, "He was busted."

The voice belonged to a 24-year-old male who had been hiding in the shadows by the boatracks. He was sitting on the ground in a non-aggressive posture with his hands clearly visible, Whitford said.

After running a check on the suspect's name and Social Security number, campus police discovered that he was released from jail only three days ago.

The alleged burglar, Jeramie Ohler, told the police that he was with a buddy who was fishing in the state park, Whitford said. The story was considered suspicious though, as the suspect had traveled through two separately secured areas with additional sets of fences and audible alarms.

Ohler was transported by campus police to the Sacramento county jail after being arrested and charged with attempted burglary.

It is not rare that alarms are tripped at the Aquatic Center Whitford said, though it is usually by transients looking for a place to sleep or to use the bathroom and they fail to realize that the facilities are protected by a security system.