An alleged theft of hundreds of dollars’ worth of Red Bull occurred at the Auld Dubliner on University Boulevard last week, with members of the UA Swim and Dive team being implicated in the incident.
Surveillance video caught two young men removing full cases of Sugar Free Red Bull from an unlocked back room of the pub and taking them out a side door. The video also caught the men placing cans of the energy drink into their pants and delivering them to patrons in the front of the bar at around 9:45 p.m. on March 31.
The amount of merchandise lost totals around $288, according to Kevin Gilliam, manager of the Auld Dubliner.
One man in the video was unofficially identified by bar employees and a Daily Wildcat sports reporter as former swim and dive team member Darren Maxwell, 23.
Other members of the swim and dive team were with the men between 8:45 and 9:30 p.m. the night of the incident, according to Gilliam.
Gilliam was hesitant to confirm or deny names of people involved, but noted that staff members roughly identified many of the men in the suspected group as UA swim and dive members.
Diana Rader, the bartender working the night of the incident, said several members of the team were at the bar. Rader said a man named Darren left a phone number for her.
In response to a call from Gilliam, Maxwell left a message in response to the alleged theft. In the message, he said he came to the bar with “”65 percent swimmers and 35 percent non-swimmers,”” and although he recalled talk of Red Bull at a party, he is “”sure no one from swim and dive was involved.”” He also thanked Gilliam for “”not calling Coach,”” in reference to UA swim and dive head coach Frank Busch.
Calls to Busch, and Maxwell were not returned by press time.
“”As far as myself, no, I am just hearing about this secondhand,”” said Blake Grimsley, sports information director for the UA men’s swim and dive team. “”Frank (Busch) talked to the team and they didn’t know anything about it or at least they didn’t let onto it.””
Grimsley said he had no idea about the incident and noted it was “”hard for (him) to say”” any more about the situation. Interim athletics director Kathleen “”Rocky”” LaRose said, “”I have no idea what (the reporter) is talking about.””
Sgt. Juan Alvarez, public information officer for the University of Arizona Police Department, had no recollection of a call being placed to UAPD.
Officer Linda Galindo, a Tucson Police Department spokeswoman, said an initial search showed no call from the pub that night, but a more thorough search would be able to definitively say whether there were any calls regarding the incident that night.
Gilliam said he did not feel the need to press charges, but wanted the Red Bull “”returned or paid for”” so he can recover the losses.
