By Rich Flowers News Editor
More than two-dozen youths, aged 18-21 years-old, including several Trinity Valley Community College Cheerleaders were arrested at a party early Friday.
Athens Police rounded up the students after answering a complaint of loud noise and unusual activity at a residence in the 200 block of Cayuga Drive.
Gabrial Medina, 21, and Travon Allen Booker, 21, both TVCC cheerleaders were booked into the Henderson County Jail for making alcohol available to minors.
Medina and Booker were each released Friday after posting $3,000 bond.
APD made 25 arrests on minor-in-possession charges, including:
• Amanda Chen, 18;
• Candace Hoenemann, 19;
• Albernishia Jackson, 19;
• Shelby Gonzales, 18;
• Sydney Saldana, 18;
• Kayle Phillips, 18;
• Whitney Hawkins, 18;
• Heidi Reidel, 18;
• Katherine Dupuis, 19;
• Kristin Schmidt, 20,
• Abolene Bernstrom, 19;
• Caitlin Harrison, 18;
• Cayce Bennett, 20;
• Reginala Avery, 20;
• Charles Carillon, 19;
• David Home, 19;
• Jaques Wilhoite, 19;
• Xavier Brown, 20;
• Sydney Crawford, 19;
• Joseph Weeks, 19,
• Stacey Womack, 20;
• Traes Malbrough, 18;
• Frederick Coker, 19;
• Kevin Betz, 18 and
• Christopher Franklin, 19.
APD reports said dispatch received a call at about midnight Friday concerning a party, loud noise, and people urinating in the yard of a nearby residence.
Officers Jason McEntire and Christopher Saylors went to the house, and upon arrival saw multiple individuals flee the house.
Officers found a large number of people and a large amount of alcohol inside the residence. A check of identification revealed that many of the individuals were under 21, the state minimum age for possession of alcoholic beverages.
Davis said many of the participants at the party parked their cars at businesses on nearby Maryland Street.
Some of the vehicles were towed away at the request of property owners. The APD did not order the vehicles towed, Davis said.
TVCC Public Relations Officer Jennifer Hannigan said students arrested at the party who take part in extra-curricular activities such as cheerleading have been suspended from that activity.
“We expect the students involved in extra-curricular activities to represent the college well, both on and off the campus,” Hannigan said. “Those students who choose to participate in extracurricular activities and functions are made keenly aware that they are expected to meet certain standards of behavior, and that there will be consequences when that standard is not upheld.
Davis said APD has not yet learned the identity of the person or persons who reside at the location. It’s possible that the resident might not have been aware the party was taking place, or fled when police arrived. The incident remains under investigation.
