Police arrest man after he allegedly stole sword, bullhorn from Rick Pitino's St. John's office
New York City police arrested a man on Friday after he allegedly broke in and stole a sword and a bullhorn from St. John’s men's basketball coach Rick Pitino’s office.
Emanuel Yakubov was arrested after he and another person allegedly broke into the St. John’s athletic department offices and stole a number of items, police said. Among those items were reportedly a ceremonial sword and bullhorn that belonged to Pitino.
Yakubov, 25, was charged with burglary, petit larceny, trespassing and possession of stolen property, per The Associated Press. The second suspect is still at large. It’s unclear what led to the alleged incident, or if anything else was stolen.
"St. John's University is grateful for the rapid response made by the NYPD and the recovery of stolen property," university spokesperson Brian Browne said in a statement. "The safety and security of our campus community are essential, and our cooperative relationship with law enforcement helps ensure that."
Pitino is gearing up for his second season with the Red Storm this fall. The longtime basketball coach landed in Queens after a three-year run with Iona, which marked his return to the sport after he was fired from Louisville amid the FBI’s massive investigation into corruption in college basketball. Pitino — who also led the New York Knicks and Boston Celtics — won two titles as a college coach, first with Kentucky in 1996 and again with Louisville in 2013.
St. John’s went 20-13 last season under Pitino’s watch and missed the NCAA tournament. The Red Storm finished in fifth in the Big East standings.
