By
Jeremy Duda
Arizona Daily Wildcat
University police charge 5 Sig Ep members with assault after 2nd incident at Kappa Sig
Five members of the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity were arrested on charges of criminal assault Saturday morning following their role in a possible retaliatory fight with a different UA fraternity, police reports stated.
Josh Simon, a communication freshman; Richard Alm, an undeclared freshman; Anand Patel, an undeclared freshman; Chris Webb, a management information systems senior; and Allen Mishek, a business administration sophomore, were arrested at the Kappa Sigma fraternity house, 1423 E. First St.
University police were called to the fraternity house at 2:36 Saturday morning after reciving a call about a fight "involving 30 to 50" people. When officers arrived, witnesses told police the assailants had fled the scence seconds before. Police caught up with five of the suspects in a nearby Zone 1 parking lot and detained them until victims could identify them, reports stated.
Seven witnesses interviewed by police, all members of Kappa Sigma, said as many as 50 suspects attacked fraternity members. Witnesses also told police the attack was unprovoked.
Kappa Sigma President Tyler Buck said that the altercation was initiated by members of the Sigma Phi Epsilon.
"Early in the morning, Sig Ep members tried to get into our house and we defended our house," Buck said.
Though he would not specify on what incident caused either of the altercations or whether members of Kappa Sigma were injured, Buck said that it was an "uneven fight."
Sigma Phi Epsilon President Roy Lawson both refused to comment on the incident.
Witnesses said about 40 people, including the five arrested Sigma Phi Epsilon members, arrived at the house at about 2:30 a.m. and began assaulting people at the Kappa Sigma house. Witnesses said Mishek "cold kocked" one of the victims, while Simon kicked a different Kappa Sigma member while he was down, reports stated. Alm pushed a victim down a ramp in front of the house, while Patel and Webb assaulted other Kappa Sigma members during the altercation, reports stated.
None of the suspects admitted any involvement to police.
This was the second time that morning UAPD went to the Kappa Sigma house. Police responded earlier at 1:48 a.m. when Simon and two other members of Sigma Phi Epsilon reported being assaulted by a group of Kappa Sigma members. One of the victims told police the three were walking to their car at 1:30 a.m. when they stopped to talk to some friends outside the Kappa Sigma house.
A group of between 12 and 15 people reportedly ran out of the Kappa Sigma house and assaulted one of the victims while his two friends tried to pull him off. One victim told police that a man in the group yelled "that's the guy" before attacking him, reports stated.
All five suspects were transported to the UAPD main station, 1852 E. First St. Only Simon, who had red marks on his hands and what appeared to be bloodstains on his jeans, showed obvious signs of involvement in the altercation, reports stated. Simon told police the marks and stains were the result of an accident earlier in the evening, reports stated.
"We're currently investigating the incident and trying to get more details," said Brian Keintz, assistant director for student programs, which oversees Greek Life.
Besides the criminal assault charges, Simon and Alm were arrested on suspicion of possessing fake IDs, reports stated.
Jeremy Duda can be reached at Jeremy.Duda@wildcat.arizona.edu.
