5 Eastern Connecticut State University Students Charged With Breach of Peace at Willimantic House Party

Five Eastern Connecticut State University students, including two members of the university baseball team, are facing charges after a late Friday night college party in Willimantic spilled outside a private home and police received noise complaints, police said. 

ECSU students Hunter Hamlin, 20, of Mansfield Center, Steven Odonnell, 19, of Meriden, Collin Keane, 19, of Tolland, Joseph Siecinski, 19 and Zachary Wilkins, 19, of Willimantic, charged with breach of peace.

Hamlin was listed as a pitcher on the ECSU Warriors' baseball team for the 2015 season and Wilkins was on the team roster last year as a first baseman.

Police said they discovered 100 college-aged party-goers in and outside a home on Prospect Street after responding to investigate numerous calls reporting a "very loud college party." Several of the people at the party were in the road, blocking traffic. 

“This type of belligerent behavior will not be tolerated within the city," Willimantic Police Lt. Alex Coriaty said in a statement. 

Police charged all five students with second-degree breach of peace. The suspects were released on written promises to appear in Danielson Superior Court on Feb. 8. 

ECSU released a statement about the incident and said the students will be disciplined, and that could include suspension or dismissal.

“We are disappointed that a handful of students disrespected our neighbors and cast a cloud over the good behavior of the other 5,000 students who study each day on our campus. For the past two years, we have extended the student code of conduct to off-campus behavior. The students arrested this weekend will be subject to our judicial process, which includes a range of disciplinary options, including suspension and dismissal,"  Ken Bedini, vice president for student affairs, said in a statement. 

"We apologize to any residents who were inconvenienced or affected by this unacceptable conduct.  We will continue to educate our students on appropriate ‘good neighbor’ behavior and healthy lifestyles, while working closely with local officials to monitor and manage the situation,” Bedini's statement says. 

 
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