It is safe to assume that a female resident of the Sage Point dorms did not sleep a wink after she found two men rummaging through items in her apartment on March 18.
The burglary occurred after 1 a.m. The resident got up from her bed after hearing noises. She walked into the dorm’s common area and discovered the male perpetrators. When the female resident questioned the two men, they fled from the area, said U Police Sgt. Garth Smith.
The main door to the apartment suite was not locked — however, U Police are uncertain how the men got into the locked dorm building without card access.
Todd Justesen, associate director for Housing and Residential Education, said people often get into the dorms by “tailgating.” He said this occurs when nonresidents stand outside dorm entrances and follow a student with card access inside. Justesen is unsure of the frequency of tailgating in student apartments because it is a “hard statistic to track.”
The female student reported $25 missing from her wallet. Another female in the apartment was asleep in her room at the time of the incident.
Smith describes the two males as near six feet tall, white, with short blonde to light brown hair and both dressed in red shirts.
Housing and Residential Education emailed a safety warning to the nearly 2,700 campus residents on Friday — one day after the incident was reported to U Police — Justesen said. The email advised students to lock their apartment doors and to call U Police with tips in the case.
Justesen said the burglary was an isolated incident. He said nothing similar has happened in the past year and a half in which he has worked at the U.
“I’m sure students do feel a little uneasy,” Justesen said. “It definitely calls to mind our safety that we sometimes take for granted … it just kind of makes you be a little more aware.”
He hopes students will be more vigilant for tailgaters in the future and not be “bashful” about calling U Police for a 24/7 safety escort.
U Police are actively investigating the case. Smith said a detective has begun talking with the victim for more information. There are no current suspects.
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