Syracuse Police arrested a Syracuse University student on Saturday morning in connection with three burglaries on South Campus.

Malcolm Cater, a freshman in the College of Human Ecology, is charged with three counts of burglary and one of grand larceny, all felonies, and two counts of petit larceny, which are misdemeanors, according to an SPD news release. Cater was a linebacker for the Syracuse football team, but was removed from the roster Saturday.

Cater is accused of burglarizing two apartments near Farm Acre Road on Friday night or early Saturday morning, and one apartment on Small Road over Thanksgiving break, according to SPD. It is undetermined if Cater had any connection to the other three burglaries over Thanksgiving break, said Sgt. Tom Connellan of SPD.

Both SPD and SU’s Department of Public Safety responded to a phone call received at 3 a.m. Saturday reporting someone carrying a large television into an apartment at 130 Lambreth Lane, where Cater lives. Police then discovered the two Farm Acre apartments had been burglarized, and followed footsteps in the snow from behind the apartments to Cater’s Lambreth apartment, according to SPD.

A witness identified Cater as the man carrying the television set. Officers recovered stolen property from all three burglaries inside Cater’s apartment with a search warrant, according to SPD.

Two flat-screen TV’s were stolen in the Small Road burglary over break that Cater is also charged with committing. Under the Clery Act, DPS must send warnings about reported crimes to students in a timely manner if there is an on-going threat. But DPS did not send out an e-mail alerting campus of the break-ins over Thanksgiving break.

Syracuse football head coach Doug Marrone released a statement on the arrest Saturday evening. ‘I am aware of the criminal charges filed today against Malcolm Cater by the Syracuse Police Department,’ he said. ‘Cater is no longer a part of the Syracuse University football program.’

As a true freshman this season, Cater played in all 12 of SU’s games. Cater, a linebacker, totaled 13 total tackles and 1 sack as he primarily played on special teams.

The investigation is still ongoing. Cater’s arraignment is scheduled for Sunday morning in Syracuse City Court.

DPS will also continue to be involved throughout the investigation.

Check dailyorange.com for updates.

kronayne@syr.edu, aolivero@syr.edu

Published on December 10, 2010 at 12:00 pm