WESTFIELD – It’s been several days since a 21-year old Westfield State student was arrested by State Police in Somers, Conn., on charges of first degree kidnapping, impersonating a police officer and fourth degree sexual assault, and students at the University are still trying to figure out what to make of it.
The student, Aerin Reardon of Topsfield, is alleged to have driven to Somers to meet with an exotic dancer whose ad he’d found on the website Craigslist.
According to the victim, Reardon contacted her via her cell phone before showing up at her house early Sunday morning, claiming to be a police officer.
He is then alleged to have forcibly removed her from the house and driven her to a parking lot in nearby Enfield, Conn., where he said she would be arrested if she did not cooperate, according to a statement from the alleged victim.
Somewhere in this time frame is when the woman was alleged to have been sexually assaulted.
The alleged victim’s boyfriend called police around 6 a.m. Sunday to report his 31-year old girlfriend missing. After authorities arrived at the home and began interviewing him, Reardon and the woman arrived back at the house, at which time the Westfield State student was arrested, and the woman was taken to a nearby hospital in Stafford, Conn.
According to Connecticut State Police, a cell phone, sexual assault evidence kit, women’s clothing, slippers and a bed sheet were confiscated upon his arrest.
Reardon was arraigned in Superior Court in Rockville, Conn., Monday and was ordered to be held in lieu of a $100,000 bond.
He is due back in court on October 18, at which time his attorney, Dick Brown, says he will be entering a plea of not guilty.
“He’s very upset,” said Brown to the media Monday. “He’s more concerned about his family than himself.”
“There’s always more to the story, and eventually, hopefully, it’ll come out in a way that will show that it’s not quite what it’s perceived to be,” he said.
To students at the school who know him, Reardon is just an everyday college kid, a Communication major who was active at the school, serving on the Campus Activities Board and the Student Government Association, and who also worked as a Resident Assistant in Davis Hall before being fired from that position, according to several students.
“It reflects horribly on Westfield State, in light all of the recent controversy,” said Graham Kilanowich, a student from New Bedford, referencing the ongoing investigation into spending by University President Dr. Evan Dobelle.
“I didn’t know the kid but it’s obviously a shocker to think that some ordinary face from Westfield could do something like that,” said Mike Sansone of Westford.
The school issued a statement earlier in the week saying “An alleged assault on any individual either on- or off-campus, under any circumstances, is untenable and will not be tolerated.”
The statement went on to say that “an off-campus criminal violation, regardless of any court status, will subject the alleged violator to the Student Conduct Board’s disciplinary jurisdiction” if the University President or a designee at his discretion “determines the alleged violator constitutes a danger to persons or property on or off campus, or has engaged in off-campus conduct that affects the welfare of the campus community.”
“He was a big part of the Campus Activities Board, and a big presence in Dickinson Hall as a freshman,” said a female student who worked with Reardon for the school’s Office of Admissions leading campus tours for prospective incoming students and who also served with him in Student Government. “He was always with a good group of girlfriends, he always seemed outgoing with his friends, maybe a little shyer with other people.”
“I never ever felt weird or uncomfortable around him. He was very open and outgoing and knew a lot of people,” she said, before adding that Reardon was a regular tour guide, not just a weekend worker.
“The only people who do that are people who know what they’re doing, so he was trusted and he was close with Katelyn Shea.” she said.
Shea, the Assistant Director of Admissions at the University, declined comment.
Other students who worked with Reardon expressed their emotions, which ranged from shock and outrage to disappointment.
“I always thought he was kind of weird, but I never got the vibe he could be capable of something so extreme,” said a graduate who served with Reardon on CAB during her tenure at the school. “Now that this has come out, it doesn’t surprise me… I’ve heard he was quite possessive of friends that were girls when they would talk to other guys.”
Brandon Burr, a graduate of the university who served as the president of the Class of 2013, worked with Reardon on CAB and SGA, and is disappointed with his former colleague.
“It’s crazy to me,” said Burr, a resident of Sandwich. “He was in leadership positions. If what he did is true, it’s disturbing and disgusting, quite frankly. It blows my mind.”
Professors in the Communication department at the University spoke highly of him.
“He was very courteous and polite,” said Prof. Makoto “Max” Saito, who taught Reardon in one of his Global Communication courses. “I didn’t have any bad impressions of him in class.”
“I wasn’t surprised,” said one student who had a course with Reardon. “I heard it through the grapevine. It was strange.”
“He used to be in my Ethnic and Gender Studies class last semester,” said another student. “Always wicked chummy and a smart ass. Would always talk about how he was adopted and stuff.”
Westfield students who also went to school with Reardon at Masconomet Regional High School in Boxford were able to shed light on their peer.
“He was my chem partner in high school,” said one student who asked for anonymity. “He was everyone’s best friend, he was always really involved.”
“I was kind of surprised,” said Westfield Senior Tim Kastrinelis, who was a grade ahead of Reardon at Masco. “I didn’t know him that well, but I knew he worked hard to get where he was.”
Both students would also say that they knew him by the name of “Andre”, and that upon hearing about the arrest, they initially did not know who Aerin was.
Katherine DiNardo, Assistant Principal at Masconomet Regional, had not returned a call from The Westfield News as of press time Thursday.
