By Kimberly Miller
Arizona Daily Wildcat
A community service officer was attacked with a pickax early Monday morning at the former Delta Chi fraternity house while doing a routine building check of the vacant residence.
Robert Dziezynski, 20, was found semiconscious lying in a hallway of the fraternity by another officer who went to investigate when Dziezynski did not respond to radio calls. Dziezynski received a severe blow above his right eye with the flat portion of a pickax which was found next to him on the floor. He was taken to University Medical Center where he was treated for a concussion and lacerations and released.
Although the hospital wanted to keep Dziezynski overnight for observation, he said his real concern was just getting back to work and that the incident has made him more enthusiastic about the job.
"I just wanted to get back out there," Dziezynski said. "I'm not frightened at all."
Community service officers assist the University of Arizona Police Department in duties including foot patrols around campus.
Dziezynski was on a foot patrol alone when he went into the building at 1701 E. First Street, after he noticed earlier in the evening that two doors on the northeast side of the former fraternity were open.
Delta Chi lost its lease on the building in November when the Dean of Students office announced the fraternity would no longer be recognized as a student organization due to risk management and student conduct violations. The building has been vacant since Dec. 22.
Dziezynski, a criminal justice junior, said that while he was investigating the main hall of the building someone jumped out from an open room and struck him. He said the last thing he remembered before losing consciousness was seeing the red of the axe and then a bright white light.
He said he woke up once but was unable to speak so he clicked his radio on and off hoping someone would hear. Meanwhile police dispatchers were trying to reach him after he did not report in.
Dziezynski regained consciousness once more and called in a request for help. An officer had already arrived at the scene and was able to locate Dziezynski after hearing him talk on the radio.
No one was found in the house and police said it was hard to tell if someone might have been living there because hallways and rooms were scattered with debris. Police said most of the doors of the house are either impossible to secure or unlocked.
UAPD Sgt. Brian Seastone said no suspects have been identified and at this point there are no leads, though the department considers this a very serious crime.
"What we have here in this case could have just as easily been a homicide," Seastone said.