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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2005
Otto, 27, University student
BY LINDSAY MICHEL
ASSISTANT UNIVERSITY EDITOR
Eileen Catherine Otto devout
Catholic, devoted friend and UNC
student died Friday, ending her
battle with juvenile rheumatoid
arthritis, immune deficiencies and
diabetes. She was 27.
Friends remember Otto, a
Chapel Hill native, as an outgoing
individual whose afflictions never
held her back.
“She was a go-getter,” said Rosa
Lee Brooks, who worked as an aide
for Otto since October. “When she
wanted something, she would go
get it.”
Otto was a continuing education
student at UNC, studying Spanish
during the last six years. She also
taught English as a second lan
guage to local students.
“She was very intellectual,”
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Brooks said. “She was determined
to get her stuff done with school.”
Emily Harris, Otto’s aide and
friend, said Otto aspired to become
a Spanish teacher.
Harris, who worked with Otto
for 21/2 years, said Otto expressed
interest in her classes and often
registered for summer school.
Otto was also passionate about
advocating for the rights of those
with disabilities.
She began the Tar Heel Action
Recreation and Sport Club at
UNC to help inform University
administrators and fellow stu
dents about how to make build
ings more accessible to students,
employees and faculty members
with disabilities.
Otto once took former
Chancellor Michael Hooker on a
tour of campus to point out build
ings that were not fit for people
with disabilities, said David Otto,
her father.
Otto’s passion for Catholicism
shined through during her every
day activities, Harris said, recall
ing one summer when she assisted
Otto in an art class.
When students were instructed
to make a mold of their hands, Otto
placed hers together to resemble
Jesus’ hands in prayer, Harris
said.
Otto also sang in the choir at the
UNC Newman Catholic Student
Center.
Father Phillip Leach, who pre
sided over Otto’s memorial service
Tuesday afternoon and was a close
friend of Otto’s, said that her love
for others was exemplified in her
demeanor each day.
“Few people engendered as
News
much love as Eileen did,” he said
to attendees at the service.
Leach said that when he recently
visited Otto at UNC Hospitals, the
attendant working at the infor
mation desk didn’t need to look
up Otto’s room number because
everyone on her floor knew her
infectiously friendly nature.
“She could just make people
feel,” Leach said. “She just had that
ability.”
Otto suffered from juvenile
rheumatoid arthritis since she
was a child and eventually became
wheelchair-bound. Otto also suf
fered from diabetes, a disease that
required her to receive dialysis in
recent years.
Despite her physical ailments,
Harris said Otto was never shy and
had a positive, friendly presence.
“In some ways, her whole life
was kind of a fast,” Leach said. “And
she was never allowing anyone else
to feel sorry of her.”
Patreek Perez-DaSilva, a friend
and neighbor, spoke of Otto’s good
heart during Tuesday’s service.
“Eileen was one of the greatest
heros for me and someone that
everyone should look up to,” he
said.
In lieu of flowers, the Otto
family requests that donations
be sent to the Harvard Stem Cell
Institute.
Otto is survived by her parents,
David and Priscilla Otto, and her
sister, Meghan Otto.
Contact the University Editor
at udesk@unc.edu.
CLARIFICATION
■ The Feb. 8 article “Elections
board hopes SBP race ends quietly”
states that allegations of violations in
last year’s election came at the end of
“Election Day.” The phrase referred
to the day of the runoff election, not
the general election a week earlier.
To report corrections, contact Managing Editor
Chris Coletta at ccoletta@email.unc.edu.
(Eljr ooily (Tar Mrrl
P.0.80x3257,Chapel Hi11,NC27515
Michelle Jarboe, Editor, 9624086
Advertising & Business, 962-1163
News, Features, Sports, 962-0245
One copy per person; additional copies may be
purchased at The Daily Tar Heel for $.25 each.
© 2005 DTH Publishing Corp.
All rights reserved
POLICE LOG
FROM STAFF REPORTS
■ Three vehicle-related inci
dents were reported Monday at
600 Airport Road, Chapel Hill
police reports state.
According to reports, a vehicle
was stolen, another was broken
into and a stolen vehicle was recov
ered, all at 600 Airport Road, in
the parking lot areas near the
Northampton Plaza.
A dark blue 1991 Honda Accord,
valued at $2,500, was reported sto
len at 7:07 p.m.
The car matched the descrip
tion of a vehicle seen in Durham,
police spokeswoman Jane Cousins
said.
A second 1991 Honda Accord,
valued at $4,000, was recovered
earlier Monday morning, reports
state.
A blue Honda Accord was found
running at 6:58 a.m., with items
scattered behind the trunk, reversed
into a parking space in front of High
Rise apartments, Cousins said.
Cousins said that wiring was
hanging from the steering console
and that no key was in the ignition.
About S4OO in damaged and
stolen contents were recovered. The
items stolen were matched with a
woman’s complaint of items stolen
from the parking lot behind the
Carolina Brewery, Cousins said.
And a gray 1989 Ford Taurus was
broken into at 6:01 a.m., sustaining
S2OO in damage, reports state.
According to reports, an unknown
suspect smashed the passenger-side
window with an unknown object
and removed a car stereo.
Cousins said the information is
unclear as to whether the incidents
are related, but she warned that six
of the last 10 vehicles break-ins in the
area occurred in Honda vehicles.
Older models with after-market
stereo systems are the most likely
targets for larceny, Cousins said.
Police are still investigating the
incidents.
■ Two vehicle-related incidents
were reported Monday in parking
lot areas at 207 Pinegate Circle,
Chapel Hill police reports state.
An unknown suspect stole a
1989 Acura Integra, valued at
$3,000, without force at 7:12 a.m.,
reports state.
A break-in was reported in a
1989 Black Jeep Pioneer at 7:39
a.m., reports state.
No property was taken in the
incident.
Police spokeswoman Jane
Cousins said that there is not
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enough information to suggest that
the incidents are related.
■ An employee of Mercia
Properties was arrested in a taxi
driving away from the scene of a
larceny Tuesday, Chapel Hill police
reports state.
According to reports, James
Lafayette Watkins, 33, of 100 W.
Rosemary St., was stopped at 12:33
a.m. while driving south on Airport
Road in a Tar Heel Taxi, following
a report of larceny from the Harris
Teeter on Airport Road.
Reports state that officers frisked
Watkins and found five, 1-pound
bags of Harris Teeter-brand frozen
shrimp, valued at $64.95.
Watkins was charged with one
misdemeanor count of larceny and
was taken before the magistrate.
He was released on a written
promise to appear March 21 in
Orange County District Criminal
Court in Hillsborough.
■ A Nomadic Training Cos. of
Carrboro employee was arrested
and charged with one count of
assault and battery Tbesday, Chapel
Hill police reports state.
According to reports, Earl Joshua
Flamer, also known as “Hammer,”
50, of 100 W. Rosemary St., was
located and arrested in Carrboro.
He was released on a written
promise to appear March 21 in
Orange County District Criminal
Court in Hillsborough.
■ A fugitive from New Jersey
was arrested in Chapel Hill on
Tuesday, reports state.
According to reports, Reginald
Perry Reid, 21, was arrested at 105
Hargraves St. and charged with one
misdemeanor count of possession of
marijuana, one misdemeanor count
of drug paraphernalia and one felo
ny count of being a fiigitive.
He was taken to Orange County
Jail and released on a written
promise to appear today in Orange
County District Criminal Court in
Hillsborough.
■ An ATM reported stolen
Monday from the Bruegger’s Bagels
at Eastgate Shopping Plaza was
recovered in Wake County, said
Chapel Hill police spokeswoman
Jane Cousins.
The ATM, valued at $7,000, was
taken at 2:27 a.m. Monday after a
hammer was used to break the
glass surrounding the machine.
Cousins said the ATM was found,
but all the money had been taken.