Intruder stopped by officers for lurking back onto campus

Robert+Neville%2C+sitting+and+hand+cuffed+on+the+ground%2C+is+surrounded+by+LUPD+officers%2C+EMS+and+a+NOPD.+Neville+has+been+issued+a+summons+to+court+for+a+criminal+trespassing+violation.+Photo+credit%3A+Andres+Fuentes

Robert Neville, sitting and hand cuffed on the ground, is surrounded by LUPD officers, EMS and a NOPD. Neville has been issued a summons to court for a criminal trespassing violation. Photo credit: Andres Fuentes

Tyler Wann

Last week, Loyola student’s Tuesday afternoon was interrupted when police were called to the Music and Communications building to remove a man who had repeatedly banned from stepping foot on campus.

According to university police, the man, who they identified as Robert Neville, has been banned from both the Broadway campus and main campus on two different occasions by LUPD. They said he had been issued a written warning that coming back to campus would result in criminal trespassing.

Despite this, Neville returned to campus on Tuesday requesting that he be given an interview for the opportunity work on campus as a songwriter, according to Office Manager Martha Alguera. She said she was confronted by Neville after he had been told that he would not be given an interview.

“It’s just kind of his tone and his demeanor. He’s kind of aggressive,” said Alguera. “I asked him ‘sir you need to back up. You’re standing way to close.’”

She said that after he refused to leave the office, she went into the office next to hers and called university police. According to university police, when they showed up, Neville complained about having chest pains, and an ambulance was called. He was then taken to the hospital, and later released with a summons to court for a criminal trespassing violation.

Neville said that he was asked by university police to leave for “no reason,” and that the chief of police has not responded to his request for a hearing.

“His decisions are arbitrary and capricious, and he won’t talk about it,” said Neville.

Though police didn’t give any details as to why Neville had been previously banned, university police did say that Neville had been a ”nuisance”, and it had been several weeks since they had last asked him to leave campus. They said that while he most likely wasn’t a physical threat, he had been making many members of the community uncomfortable.

“It’s one of those situations where you never know. He might be harmless. But the fact that he doesn’t really take no for an answer,” said Alguera. “It kind of raises a red flag.”

University police say that they are remaining vigilant about who is frequenting campus, and that if members of the community see anything that looks suspicious or makes them uncomfortable, they should notify police.