Man says theft of mascot costumes a ‘prank’

INDIANAPOLIS – One of the men charged with the theft of Butler University’s bulldog mascot costumes said the incident was a prank that got out of hand.

Twenty-one-year-old Austin Egenolf is one of four men who face preliminary charges of burglary and theft after the disappearance of the costumes from Hinkle Fieldhouse. He told The Indianapolis Star that he’s sorry and that he and the others found the outfits in an unlocked fieldhouse.

He said he and the others took the costumes to a party but lost track of them as others took them.

Parts of the costumes have been recovered but are no longer usable. Two new costumes valued at about $14,000 have been ordered.