Football player arrested, suspended

UCF fullback Ricky Kay was arrested Saturday night after causing $5,200 worth of damage to Tower 4, and UCF Athletics announced that Kay will immediately be suspended from the team because he is being charged with a felony.

According to the police report, the 19-year-old sophomore football player had returned to Tower 4 after a night "out to the clubs," when he entered the east side stairwell. Upon entering, he hit an exit sign with both hands, knocking the sign to the ground and breaking it. When Kay ventured to the second floor, he proceeded to hit a pressure gauge attached to the fire sprinkler system. The broken gauge caused water to drain from the fire suppression system, leading to a flood of water in the stairwell.

"He just made a stupid mistake," said Richard Kay Sr., Ricky's father. His father said he is very distraught and is dealing with the circumstances privately with his family.

"He's devastated, the family's devastated," Kay Sr. said. "He's never been in trouble before; he just did something stupid and he knows it."

Kay was accompanied by freshmen teammates Lawrence Young and Nick Pieschel who witnessed parts of the incident.

Security guards first noticed the small group of at least five people, "making a lot of noise" in parking garage E. The guards notified UCF police after the fire alarm was set off and they saw water coming down the stairs. Pieschel told police he heard a loud noise and saw Kay behind him with the smashed sign. Young said he heard a "loud burst" causing him to turn around and see "water flying everywhere," according to the report.

Resident assistants and police reviewed the hallway and entrance surveillance video, which was given to UCF police for evidence. The UCF Physical Plant appraised the sign to be about $200. The water restoration cleanup crew estimated the water damage to be about $5,000.

Kay was placed under arrest and transported to Orange County Central Booking without incident. He was later released on $1,100 bail. He is being charged with two counts of felonies related to vandalism on UCF property.

Since then, UCF Athletics announced Kay would be suspended from the team due to the UCF Athletics Comprehensive Action Plan which governs student-athlete conduct, according to a press release. The plan states that student athletes charged with a felony will be immediately suspended.

However, the release also stated the institution is prohibited to comment on the disciplinary action.

Sarah Oleksy, assistant director of Housing and Residence Life, said vandalism isn't an oddity, but it's rarely serious damage.

"When you think of vandalism, you think of like spray paint and things like that. We don't get a lot of that, but breaking stuff," Oleksy said. "It's usually related to alcohol. It does occur from time to time, but I do think a lot of our students are very respectful of our property, but the most popular thing to do is break exit signs. It's just the way they come down from the ceiling; it's just very tempting for some students. Sometimes it's not about vandalizing, it's just being silly about things."

Kay came to UCF in 2007 and appeared in every game last season. Last season, Kay caught six passes for a total of 60 yards. He made his first collegiate start against the University of South Florida on October 13.

Kay will remain suspended until the charges are resolved. Since the incident, the mess has been cleaned and no signs of the vandalism are outwardly visible. No further statements have been made.

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