Students arrested in Juniper-Poplar after scuffle

A dispute between students resulted in two arrests at Juniper-Poplar Residence Hall on Thursday morning.

University Police arrested Eryk Marsak, 20, and Yves Rodler “Rod” Romelus, 22, at 3:24 a.m. in the Poplar-side dormitory of Ricci Dominguez, a freshman majoring in engineering, after receiving a call from Dominguez. 

A UP media release said Marsak and Romelus allegedly “struck Dominguez multiple times” and fled the area following a “brief physical altercation.” UP apprehended the two about an hour later and transported them to Hillsborough County Central Booking facilities.

UP spokesman Lt. Christopher Daniel said Marsak and Romelus were each charged with one count of burglary of a dwelling with assault or battery and one count of battery. Daniel said Dominguez was in his dorm room when Marsak and Romelus entered without permission. 

“There were two others there, but they were not participants in the act, so they were not charged,” Daniel said. All four of the students that entered Dominguez’s room were members of the Delta Chi fraternity, though Daniel said it is unlikely their Greek affiliations had any significance to the case.

“It just seems like a conflict between some individuals.,” he said. “It’s just coincidental that they’re all fraternity.”

Dominguez said in an interview with The Oracle that he got into an altercation with Marsak at Acropolis Greek Taverna in New Tampa hours before the arrest. 

“I didn’t pass the Eryk kid the hookah that me and my friend paid for and he got mouthy,” Dominguez said. “(Romelus) started choking me at Acropolis and I threw his hand aside and kind of threw him over a table, shattering a hookah.”

Romelus declined to comment for this story and Marsak could not be reached for comment.

After their party was asked to leave Acropolis, Dominguez said he returned to his dorm where, about 20 minutes later, Marsak, Romelus and two others entered his room without permission. 

Bail for Marsak and Romelus was set at $25,500 each. Marsak was released from central booking after paying a $500 surety bond just after 9 p.m. Friday, and Romelus was released a few minutes past midnight Saturday on an equal bond.