University Police arrested Western freshman Sean Heien outside of Ridgeway Delta Thursday, following the Wednesday arrest of Western freshman Derreck Opheim in connection to the report of an armed robbery in the Sehome Arboretum Oct. 15.
Heien and Opheim were booked into Whatcom County Jail on suspicion of trafficking in stolen property and robbery in the first degree, said Mark Young, Bellingham Police Department public information officer.
Opheim, who was arrested outside Ridgeway Omega, was arraigned Thursday afternoon, Young said. His bail was set at $100,000.
The robbery was reported by an unidentified 20-year-old Western student who said he was walking through the arboretum when two males ahead of him, one armed with a gun and the other with a knife, turned around and ordered him to give up his backpack.
Among the stolen items was an iPod, which came back to play a vital role in the discovery of the suspects' identities. Bellingham detectives found the knife reportedly used in the robbery in Opheim’s dorm room after his arrest.
Immediately following the incident Oct. 15, University Police Chief Randy Stegmeier sent out a campus-wide e-mail describing the robbery and encouraging anyone with information to call the “Safe Campus” hotline.
This e-mail prompted the tipoff that led to Opheim’s arrest, Young said.
A Western student called Bellingham Police to report that a friend of hers had purchased a used iPod from a stranger at an exceptionally low price, Young said.
The Bellingham Police Department attained a warrant for the arrest of Opheim, though the other suspect, Heien, was still at large.
Chief Stegmeier released another e-mail announcing the arrest of Opheim and listing Heien as a “person of interest” Thursday morning.
Within a few hours, a Delta resident saw Heien return to the residence hall and called the police, Young said.
Heien was arrested shortly after without incident and transported to Whatcom County Jail, Young said.
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