Rug stolen from MSC

Students walking through the doors at the north entrance of the Marshall Student Center (MSC) may notice something missing below their feet.

Surveillance cameras captured footage of a male suspect stealing a 6-by-8-foot, custom-made “U” rug from inside one of the doors at that entrance at 7:30 p.m. Monday.

Joe Synovec, director of MSC, said custodians reported the rug missing overnight.

“We came in to work this morning and the custodial supervisor said her staff noticed the rug was gone sometime between 3 p.m. and 8 p.m.,” Synovec said. “They clean that area at 3 p.m., and when they went back out to that area at 8 p.m., it was gone.”

On the cameras, a male is seen loitering on a cell phone at the north entrance of the MSC. He then proceeds to roll up the rug before exiting the building.

Synovec said the rug, which was purchased with student-paid Activity and Service fees, is valued at about $400.

“We notified University Police (UP), who then came over and got information off of our cameras,” he said.

UP spokesman Lt. Chris Daniel said police were informed of the theft at 8:21 a.m. Tuesday.

“We only have the visual off of the cameras to go off of at this point,” Daniel said. “We’ve also issued a community alert that will hopefully help us gather more information on the suspect.”

He said that in the past UP has dealt with similar thefts of logo items, but to his knowledge, none have occurred at MSC before this one.

Synovec said he wants students to “be more observant” and not do something “that could jeopardize their college careers.”

“USF has cameras,” he said. “The MSC alone has almost 50 cameras throughout the building. (Students) should think twice if (they’re) ever tempted to do something like this. (The MSC is) their home.”