According to JQA residents, the room’s occupant left their door unlocked.

“You have to have respect [for] friends,” Chris Watt, 19, a civil engineering major said. “I consider everyone here [in JQA] a friend. I feel bad [for the victim], I used to [leave the door unlocked] all the time. That’s the risk you take. I will lock it every time now.”

The crime alert mentioned other thefts that recently happened in Southwest where laptops were stolen. The crime alert said that the suspect in those thefts had a similar description. Police believe the suspect entered by following a resident in.

“I think people need to be aware and lock their doors because not doing so is naïve,” said Alex Hall, 20, a psychology major. “I also feel that I am safe as long as I take proper precautions. There’s not much we can do to stop it; we don’t leave our doors open to our houses, so why do it in your dorm?”

UMPD posted a photo of the alleged suspect on their website and are looking for helpful information about the thefts. The crime alert ended with a reminder “that allowing non-residents into the building may put others at risk.”

-Collegian News Staff