5 ‘Nova students caught stealing from Lincoln Financial Field

Talk about obstructed view.

An unbolted seat from Section 108 (Row 30, Seat 1) sat outside Lincoln Financial Field this morning, resting along a wall.

Can't see the field from there.

A five-foot sign from a souvenir stand was also out of position - inside a black 2000 BMW X5 sports-utility vehicle left in a back parking lot.

That was the scene following an overnight break-in that resulted in the arrests of five Villanova students, all aged 18 or 19.

Next to the seat, a metal-pipe barricade leaned up against a wall - suggesting the perps used it to climb inside.

While working their mischief about 3 a.m., they were noticed on surveillance cameras by stadium security, who called police and tried to apprehend the intruders, according to Lt. David Bellamy of South Detectives.

Although the young men ran, guards nabbed one and police four more, while several others apparently escaped, Bellamy said.

"They did a good job, security. A great job. They worked well together with the police," Bellamy said.

Charged with criminal conspiracy, burglary, criminal trespass, theft and other charges are William Clarke, 19, of Short Hills, N.J.; Taylor Halstead, 19, of Manchester, Mass.; Dylan Carroll, 18, of Pelham, N.Y.; Mack Ioannidis, 18, of Brookhaven, Pa.; and Daniel Papa, 18, of Andover, Md.

The BMW has Jersey tags. Another vehicle probably got away.

Except for the seat and the sign, no other damage was reported, Bellamy said.

"No, they did not resist arrest," he said. "Running away is part of the criminal game, too. You know that. You're allowed to run. They didn't make any subsequent effort to fight with the officer or security."

The five arrested appeared to be sober, he said.

He expected the suspects to be charged today.

Bellamy declined to speculate if the reason some intruders got away was that they were the ones from Philly.