Adding to a series of intrusions into Silliman College, a Silliman student in entryway F reported that an intruder came into his common room early Sunday afternoon and stole his laptop, his roommate’s cell phone and his suitemate’s money.
The incident is the third report of an intrusion into Silliman entryways last weekend. One student reported seeing an unidentified man in a bathroom in entryway B on Saturday, and another said a male intruder came into her suite through entryway A Sunday afternoon.
Though the police have made no arrests, University Police Lt. Michael Patten said they have a description of a suspect from one of the incidents. It is unclear if the same person is responsible for more than one of the crimes.
“[The student in the courtyard] described him as a black male, about sixty and 220 pounds,” Patten said. “He was wearing a green jacket.”
Peter Nicewicz ’08, who lives in entryway F, said the burglary of his laptop took place during the hour around midday while he and his suitemate went out for brunch. He said his roommate was sleeping in his room at the time and did not hear the intruder enter the suite.
“The first thing I noticed was that my laptop was missing because I had been using it,” Nicewicz said. “At first I thought someone in another suite had borrowed it.”
After he asked his neighbors if any of them had borrowed his computer, Nicewicz said he went to see Silliman Master Judith Krauss to report the burglary.
Nicewicz’s roommate noticed his cell phone was missing when he woke up around 2 p.m., Nicewicz said. His other suitemate reported 40 dollars missing from his wallet when he came home from the library about half an hour later.
Patten said Nicewicz’s suite was unlocked at the time of the incident.
“Once again, there’s a common theme, rooms being left unlocked,” Patten said. “We can’t stress it enough. You have to take responsibility.”
Krauss said she and her husband frequently check the entryway doors to see if they are properly closed.
“Ninety percent of the time we find them with tacks on the door. They’ll stick them on the door frame so it’s propped open,” she said.
Krauss said she called the police after she heard Nicewicz’s account of the burglary. She said she found an e-mail about the intruder in entryway A later that day.
“All I know is what the students have reported, that he is an African American male,” Krauss said. “But we don’t know for a fact that the person that was in [entryway] A was also in [entryway] F.”
Though she said students did not report any intrusions to her last fall, Krauss said the description of the intruder on Sunday matches that of an unidentified man who was spotted in the college by several students last month.
“There’s been some indication that someone of a similar description has been in and out of the college,” Krauss said. “People would e-mail me about this.”
Though Krauss said students should notify her of suspicious activity in the college, she said a student should call the police first.
“Students e-mail me, but by the time I get an e-mail it could easily be hours,” she said.