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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Tuesday, December 4, 2007

Fire doors used in UH dorm break-ins

Advertiser Staff

Hawaii news photo - The Honolulu Advertiser

Mark Andrew Heath

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A 20-year-old man charged with burglary, theft and sex assault in connection with four dormitory incidents at the University of Hawai'i at Manoa campus told police he entered the dorms through unlocked fire escape doors, according to a court document.

Mark Andrew Heath, a scout with the Army's Stryker brigade at Schofield Barracks, was arrested Nov. 25 at the Lokelani dorm.

He is charged with three counts of first-degree burglary, one count of unauthorized entry into a dwelling place, one count of attempted second-degree theft and one count of third-degree sex assault connected to alleged break-ins Aug. 19 at Hale Mokihana, Nov. 24 at Hale Aloha Ilima, and two incidents between Nov. 22 and 25 at Hale Lokelani.

His bail totals $250,000.

Heath, who is being held at the O'ahu Community Correctional Center, is scheduled to be tried for the unauthorized entry and one of the burglary counts stemming from the alleged break-ins at Lokelani.

The additional charges were brought Friday.

According to a police affidavit filed in court, Heath told police he entered Lokelani dorm on Nov. 25 with the intent of stealing items from rooms left unlocked. The two cases at Lokelani involve entering one room with two people inside, and the theft of an iPod and women's underwear from another room.

Heath also allegedly admitted to entering the Hale Mokihana room on Aug. 19 of an 18-year-old female student; the door had been left unlocked by her roommate. Heath carried a pair of scissors. He told police his intent was to cut off the woman's underwear while she was asleep, not to sexually assault her.

The student awoke and screamed while he was trying to cut off her underwear. Heath told police he shoved the woman back and fled from the building through the unlocked fire escape door. He was charged with first-degree burglary, attempted theft and sex assault from the Mokihana incident.

Heath also claimed responsibility for the Nov. 24 break-in at Hale Aloha Ilima in which two bags containing $400 cash were stolen from a fourth-floor room while two female students, ages 17 and 18, were asleep, the document said.