BY: MORGAN KILGER, NEWS EDITOR
On Friday, Dec. 1, 2023, Raeanne Armbruster, a senior finance major, and her roommates were decorating their townhouse on the east side of St. Bonaventure University for a Christmas party they were hosting that weekend. Afterward, Armbruster and her roommates went to bed for the night.
Just a few hours later, their townhouse was broken into. Several items were stolen from their residence — including a shopping bag and Armbruster’s camera.
On March 19, 2024, police arrested Marcus A. Norman, 55, of Jamestown, New York, for several break-ins in the Village of Allegheny and the east end of Bonaventure’s campus. Norman had been traced back to the break-ins with advanced technology services.
Victims of Norman are relieved that he has been caught and arrested.
“I’m just happy he was caught,” said Megan Bickert, a health science major and resident of the Allegheny home.
Bickert’s residence had been broken into by Norman twice — once around 5 a.m. on Dec. 2, 2023 and again on March 17, 2024, at 4 a.m.
Bickert, a senior health science major with a biomedical concentration, reported nothing to be stolen, just that Norman walked inside and outside her residence. Her ring camera detected Norman.
“He did not take anything to our knowledge the first time,” said Bickert. “The only reason we knew that someone had broken in was because he picked up the ring and then set it face down.”
According to Bickert, street cameras picked up Norman leaving the residence and getting into his vehicle.
The same night, Armbruster’s residence was broken into by Norman as well.
Armbruster’s residence is in the Phase 1 townhouses on Bonaventure’s campus. Despite not having a ring camera, security cameras from the parking lot caught Norman entering and exiting the townhouse.
Since Armbruster did not realize her items were missing until the next morning, she didn’t contact campus security until then.
“I contacted campus security when my items went missing, they checked the cameras and came across disturbing footage which then led to the police being called and a report being filed,” said Armbruster.
Footage caught on the cameras included Norman entering Armbruster’s residence twice for several minutes at a time and attempted break-ins in other townhouses as well.
“We know, through video surveillance, that Mr. Norman attempted other apartments but was unable to gain entry due to the doors being locked,” said Gary Segrue, dean of campus safety.
Campus security immediately contacted the sheriff’s office. An alert was sent out to the Bonaventure community as well, according to Segure. For extra safety measures, targeted patrols were placed on the East side of campus for the remainder of the fall semester.
“After the incident, we conducted targeted patrols on the east side of campus for the remainder of the fall semester,” said Segrue.
Bickert’s residence was broken into by Norman a second time in March.
“The second time was different because he never fully entered the house,” said Bickert.
During the second incident, Bickert’s roommates were awake. Their ring camera, once again, caught Norman approaching and entering the residence.
Norman had opened the door and started listening to the commotion happening inside the residence. Bickert’s roommates had heard Norman and ended up scaring him off.
“When he heard them start to freak out, he closed the door and went towards the backyard,” said Bickert. “My roommate’s friend ended up running after him and he ran off.”
According to Segrue, Norman was not seen on Bonaventure’s campus on March 17, 2024.
The Cattaraugus County Sheriff’s Department arrested Norman two days later at his place of work. Police charged Norman with burglary, petit larceny and attempted burglary, according to the sheriff’s office website.
This is not Norman’s first arrest. Norman had been arrested for burglary in the past in local areas — including Fredonia, New York, in 2016. He has had up to nine burglary convictions since 1988.
Norman was arraigned in the Town of Allegheny court.
Norman has been banned from Bonaventure’s campus, said Segrue in a university-wide email notice on March 19.
Despite these attempted break-ins at Bonaventure, security measures will not change.
“I felt relieved when I was told they had him in custody,” said Armruster. “Although I do wish they had caught him sooner, I had trust in the detectives working the case and knew in due time they would soon get him.”
kilgermi22@bonaventure.edu
