Five Kent State University students who allegedly broke into a University Drive residence on Dec. 1 following a confrontation at an East Main Street fast food restaurant have been indicted by a Portage County grand jury on felony burglary charges.
Kwan L. Bailey, David D. Coleman and Dontell E. Higgins, all 21, as well as SeVaughn L. Knight and Austin S. Wilson, both 19, were indicted on one count each of burglary, a second-degree felony.
All five were released on personal recognizance bonds following their arraignments in Portage County Common Pleas Judge Laurie Pittman's courtroom. A condition of their bond is no contact with the alleged victims. If convicted, each could receive up to eight years in prison as a sentence. Trial dates were set in April.
According to Kent police, seven men allegedly were seen kicking and rocking a vehicle in the parking lot of the Burger King on East Main Street, before damaging the car's temporary license plate. The incident apparently started after the men had a "verbal dispute" with the passengers in the car, police said.
All seven -- two of the suspects have yet to be identified, police said -- then went to a house at 126 University Drive, went inside and forced their way into an apartment. A door was damaged and electronics and other items allegedly stolen from the house, according to Kent police.
All five initially were charged with aggravated riot, a fifth-degree felony, but the grand jury did not indict them on that charge.
Higgins is a sophomore education studies major and at the time was a member of the KSU track and field team. He and Bailey, a junior criminology and justice studies major who also is on the KSU wrestling team, both attended Groveport Madison High School in suburban Columbus together, according to their Facebook profiles. Wilson is a freshman architectural studies major, Knight a freshman technology major and Coleman is a sophomore criminology and justice studies major, according to Facebook and the university.
Follow Dave O'Brien on Twitter at @RCCrimeWatch
Contact this reporter at 330-298-1128 or dobrien@recordpub.com
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