Margaret BauerBurglars hitting apartments off campus are becoming increasingly brazen in their attempts at theft.
Last Friday around 10 a.m., students living in an apartment on the 6100 block of Waterman Ave. surprised a suspect who had walked into the apartment through an unlocked door. The residents interrupted the man as he was inspecting their electronic equipment.
“They were in another part of the apartment and they heard noises and they came out and spotted the person disconnecting the stereo system,” said WU Chief of Police Don Strom.
The suspect immediately fled, empty-handed.
Police have issued an alert to all members of the off campus community, describing the suspect as a black male in his mid-to-late-30s wearing dark clothing and a black “skull” cap.
Strom repeated advice he’s been giving students living off campus for months.
“It drives home the importance of keeping doors and windows locked,” he said.
The crime advisory also warns students to report any suspicious persons or activities to WUPD and never to open an apartment door to a stranger.
Thefts have not been confined to off campus housing, however. Police are still searching for a suspect in the theft of three laptop computers, an iPod and a wallet from Wheeler House on Jan. 28.