Posted on Fri, Jul. 25, 2008
STATE COLLEGE - A drunk Penn State student who had been celebrating his 21st birthday broke into the football building early yesterday and caused extensive damage to the home of the Nittany Lions, police said.
Daniel Costenbader, of Emmaus, smashed windows and broke into the Lasch Building at about 3 a.m., authorities said. Athletic department employees estimated the damage, which was mainly in the weight room, at about $10,000.
Coach Joe Paterno found out about the break-in from his wife, Sue, yesterday morning before leaving for Big Ten media days in Chicago.
"My wife was all upset, because the windows were broken. I guess there's a sizable amount of damage," Paterno said in Chicago. "It's unfortunate. It's so unnecessary."
Police said they arrived at the building because of a call about a fight at the indoor training facility next door, and later found out later the call was actually made by Costenbader. He was found alone in a first-floor bathroom in the football building, which is home to the offices of Paterno and his staff as well as the team locker room.
An extensive collection of bowl game trophies, awards and other memorabilia are also on display, though there was no apparent damage to those items. The trophy awarded to Penn State after its Alamo Bowl victory last year had apparently been handled but was not damaged, team spokesman Jeff Nelson said.
Costenbader was charged with burglary, trespass, public drunkenness and other counts. He was released on $50,000 unsecured bail. *
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