A man was taken to Mercy Hospital after entering the West Penn building under the influence on Wednesday, Nov. 13, according to Public Safety.
According to Point Park Police, 52-year old Eric Blosser was found by campus police unconscious at a table inside the Center for Media Innovation (CMI). Pharmacy pills were spread over the table in front of him.
Public Safety did not specify what the pills were. A criminal report for Blosser is pending as of Wednesday.
Sgt. Bill Wagner arrested Blosser and called paramedics who, according to Pittsburgh EMS dispatchers, had to wheel him out on a stretcher to Mercy Hospital because he was unable to walk on his own.
Blosser was charged with defiant trespassing, disorderly conduct, and public intoxication.
According to the Pennsylvania General Assembly, defiant trespassing can be defined as someone who has repeatedly tried to or has successfully entered a space where they know they are not permitted to be in the space. This can be from either previous warnings or posted signage that a person has repeatedly ignored.
It is unclear when Blosser was previously trespassed from Point Park property.
Olivia Valyo, the creative content coordinator for the CMI, was the only person working when Blosser moseyed into the space.
Valyo said Blosser was walking in a slow and delirious manner. She said he picked up a few magazines and newspapers before sitting down at a table and passing out. After that she called Public Safety for a wellness check.
“I didn’t get a threatening vibe from him,” Valyo said, “but I was still a little bit freaked out. I thought, ‘Something’s not right here.’”
Valyo said this was the first case of trespassing in the CMI she has ever seen. She has worked at both locations of the CMI for a combined total of five years.
The West Penn building is one of the few high-traffic buildings on campus that does not have a security guard at any point in the day. Every building except Conestoga Hall and the Online Education building has turnstiles that require an ID scan to open.
While most security guards are on the clock at night-time hours–except in Lawrence Hall–Valyo said the addition of one in West Penn may boost security and prevent another trespass.
“I know other buildings have security guards,” Valyo said. “I wish the West Penn building did too, just because you never know when something could happen.
I do think it’s a safe measure but I do [also] think it’s pretty easy to get in. We have guest clients come into the CMI and it’s pretty easy to get past the turnstile,” Valyo said.
During the Spring 2024 semester, a man was caught trespassing on the second floor of Lawrence Hall while holding an alcoholic beverage. It is unclear if this was that man’s first time trespassing on Point Park property.
Blosser’s preliminary hearing is set for Dec. 16, 2024 at 12:30 p.m. at the Pittsburgh Municipal Court building.
Cassandra Harris and Carson Folio contributed reporting to this article.
