An SIU baseball player is facing a residential burglary charge after he allegedly broke into a woman’s apartment, stole multiple possessions and tampered with security cameras. 

The woman reported that on the morning of March 11, 2026, Southern Illinois University student and baseball player Matthew Simay broke into her Carbondale apartment, according to an emergency order of protection she filed in Jackson County Circuit Court. 

The alleged residential burglary followed roughly seven months of Simay attempting to contact her, according to the woman’s testimony in the protection order.

The first contact between the burglary victim and a person suspected to be Simay occurred at Finish Line Car Wash in Carbondale in late summer 2025, according to her statement to police. The man approached her and asked for her phone number, which she declined. 

The victim also said in the protection order that in December 2025, a man who fit the same description hollered at her and her friend from his car, once again asking for her number. This incident took place at the same car wash as the first reported encounter.

On or around Jan. 12, 2026, at John A. Logan College in Carterville, the same man from the car wash incident honked his horn, said “hey,” and stared at the victim before driving off, according to court documents. The victim contacted campus police, but no official report was made regarding the incident, according to the protection order.

According to the victim’s account in the court documents, the victim noticed a man of the same build as the one before, staring at her outside her apartment as recently as two weeks before the burglary. The man was then seen running between nearby buildings. While there was no official identification of the man, the victim stated that he fit the same description as the one from the previous incidents. 

The victim reported that on March 11, an Instagram account that appeared to belong to Simay sent a follow request to her account.

According to the victim’s account in the protection order, around an hour to an hour and a half later, at 2:56 a.m., Simay allegedly broke into her apartment, tampered with security cameras and stole items from the two residents of the apartment. The woman’s roommate reported the burglary to her around 6 a.m. that same day. Her roommate also went to the apartment complex office to check the security footage. 

Simay was arrested later that same day after testimonies identified him and determined that he lived in the building to which he fled based on the building’s list of residents and a physical description.

The victim has a no-contact order against Simay, which directs him to remain at least 1,000 feet away from her, as well as her home, school and job. The order also states that Simay cannot contact the victim in any way. 

A preliminary hearing in the case is set for May 19, 2026, according to court records website Judici. The hearing will take place at the Jackson County Courthouse in Murphysboro.

Regarding Simay’s status on the baseball team, “there is no update,” per Saluki Athletics administration. Simay is a Junior at SIU and plays the infield on the baseball team. He has not played in a game since March 8, and it is unclear whether or not he remains on the team. 

Simay’s defense attorney did not return calls seeking comment.

The victim could not be reached for comment.

Sports Reporter Noah Petschke can be reached at [email protected]

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