Students at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, are on alert after someone broke into multiple dorms overnight, swiping pricey electronics among other things.
The Harvard University Police Department sent a warning to students on Saturday, saying four incidents had been reported.
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According to campus police, all four break-ins happened at undergraduate residences between 11 p.m. Friday and 2 a.m. Saturday. Two occurred at Quincy House, with one at Adams House and another at 20 DeWolfe Street. In each incident, the door to the residences were either unlocked, propped open, or the locking mechanisms were disengaged.
The residences were unoccupied in three of the incidents, police said. In the fourth, a student saw an unknown man open the door to their bedroom before leaving.
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The items reported stolen include laptops, iPads, AirPods, a backpack, wallet, cash, and other miscellaneous items, police said.
Campus police say it's not clear at this time whether these incidents are connected; detectives are actively investigating.
Students tell NBC10 Boston they're not surprised by the series of break-ins, saying their classmates often leave their doors unlocked.
“I’m kind of just like, ‘Oh, okay. It’s another one,'” Harvard student Megan Itagaki said. “You kind of forget that these things happen until you get the notification.”
Sophomore Lauren Perl says she isn't shocked, either. While she feels safe on campus, she admits that some people don't always make the best choices.
“Last year, I lived with a girl who kept her door propped open,” Perl said. “Students will just leave their key in the door to make partying more accessible but in turn it makes their belongings more accessible to the public.”.
“I hope everyone stays safe," student Jenny Wolfe said. "That’s really scary.”
Something similar happened just three months ago, when campus police arrested someone after multiple burglaries at two dorms. In those cases, students also reported stolen laptops and iPads.
Harvard police advise residents to always keep their doors and windows locked, even if they're leaving for a brief period of time. Any students who observe something suspicious or think an unlawful entry has been made into their rooms should call campus police.
Anyone with information about this weekend's burglaries is also asked to contact the Harvard University Police Department at 617-495-1796.
