HARTFORD, Conn. — Officials at Central Connecticut State University don’t see the humor in this prank: burning bags of popcorn in a microwave in a crowded dorm in the middle of the night and tying some doors shut so residents think they’re trapped in a burning building.
Campus police said they arrested three teenagers who purposely burned the popcorn early Monday, setting off a fire alarm in the dorm shortly after 3 a.m.
No one was hurt.
University spokesman Mark McLaughlin said two bags of popcorn were in a microwave on the third floor, and about six room doors were tied shut with fishing line on the fourth and fifth floors. But students were able to squeeze out because the line wasn’t tight, and the smoke apparently wasn’t much of a problem, he said.
Students in the dorm “were calm and handled the incident well — annoyed, as you can imagine, but calm,” McLaughlin said.
Police arrested Matthew Dortch, 18, of Wayne, N.J.; Patrick Robinson, 18, of Goshen, N.Y.; and Christopher Scifo, 19, of Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
All three were arraigned in New Britain Superior Court and posted bail Monday after being charged with reckless endangerment, reckless burning and other crimes. They’re due to return to court June 5.
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