Purse theft leads to 15 hours trapped in vent at Englewood's Charles Hay Elementary

Englewood's Charles Hay Elementary, at 3195 South Lafayette Street, is out of session for the summer. No wonder a neighbor was caught off-guard upon hearing a faint voice emanating from the building yesterday -- and even more surprised by what the person in question was saying: "Help. Call 911." What...

By Michael Roberts

June 29, 2011

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Englewood's Charles Hay Elementary, at 3195 South Lafayette Street, is out of session for the summer. No wonder a neighbor was caught off-guard upon hearing a faint voice emanating from the building yesterday -- and even more surprised by what the person in question was saying: "Help. Call 911."

What happened?

According to the Englewood Police Department, a thus-far-unidentified 28-year-old man had taken the purse of a female friend -- reportedly a girlfriend with whom he was fighting -- and tossed it on the school's roof.

After he cooled down, he realized he needed to get the purse back. So he clambered onto the roof Monday night, figuring it would be up there waiting for him. But he didn't count on falling into a vent -- really falling. Englewood officers report that he was found trapped thirty feet into the ventilation system -- and by the time first responders arrived, at 2:50 p.m. yesterday, he'd been there for approximately fifteen hours.

After about an hour of trying, the man was fished out of the vent and transported to Swedish Medical Center, where he was treated for injuries deemed non-life-threatening. But he's not out of danger yet. He's been issued a summons for theft, trespassing and damage to property.

And that's not even to mention his girlfriend...

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Michael Roberts began his career with Westword in 1990 as music editor. In 1999, he took on a new role, full-time media reporter, as author of a column called The Message. In 2008, he became the lead writer for Westword's news blog, The Latest Word, a position he held until January 2023. Michael continues to freelance for Westword, covering everything from business to sports and the media; he also contributes to Jazziz, a national music magazine. He holds a bachelor's degree from what is now Colorado Mesa University and master's degrees from the University of California, Los Angeles, and Northwestern University.

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