Two UF students were arrested early Sunday morning after breaking into Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, University Police said.
Noah Antonio Thomas Taylor, 19, and Thomas John DePaola, 19, jumped over the fence on the south side of the stadium at about 2:15 a.m. Sunday, according to an arrest report.
The two took multiple items from a maintenance closet inside the stadium, police said. An officer, who was sitting in his car in a service driveway of the stadium, heard a loud bang come from behind him, according to the report.
He saw Taylor and DePaola outside of Gate 6 of the stadium hitting a black object against the sidewalk. The officer told them to stop, and the two students ran off, according to the report.
The officer told Taylor and DePaola to stop multiple times, but they kept running, the officer said. The two were caught near McKethan Stadium, located at 2190 Stadium Road, according to the report.
Taylor and DePaola told officers they were intoxicated, knew the stadium was not open to the public and decided to steal a few items from the maintenance closet, according to the report.
Taylor and DePaola were arrested, charged with burglary and taken to the Alachua County Jail. Both were released on their own recognizance Sunday.
Taylor and DePaola are students, according to the UF Student Directory.
Taylor declined to comment, and DePaola could not be reached for comment.
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