Two USC journalism students were arrested for the theft of first-round NFL draft jerseys, with the value of the stolen property estimated at over $1,000 dollars.
The pair—Eric Lambkins II and Jude Ocañas—were in Missouri covering the draft for student-run news outlet Annenberg Media as part of USC’s Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism. According to Noah Goldberg of the Los Angeles Times, Lambkins and Ocañas were seen on security footage shortly after 1 a.m. on Friday morning entering NFL draft areas that were restricted.
The footage reportedly shows the two going into the “talent waiting room,” which contained jerseys from various teams with the number “1” printed on the back and no last names designated for first-round picks. The NFL reported three jerseys—ones for the Vikings, Cowboys and 49ers—missing.
“These jerseys are used to give to players selected in the first round of the NFL draft and have a very sentimental meaning,” wrote Kansas City police Det. Craig Leach in a police report.
Lambkins and Ocañas were arrested shortly before boarding a flight back to Los Angeles, where the 49ers and Cowboys jerseys were found in their possession. Their trip to cover the draft was funded by the Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism.
