The alleged suspect in one of the Engineering Quad resident halls. (Photo courtesy of CU Police Department)
This story will be updated.
The CU Police Department released a statement Wednesday Oct. 17 alerting students of burglary and theft from an unknown suspect entering resident halls Aden, Brackett, Cockerell and Crosman. These buildings surround the Engineering Quad on campus.
The first incident occurred on Sept. 26 in which theft was reported. Incidents of trespassing were reported on Oct. 1, Oct. 3, Oct. 9, Oct. 10 and Oct. 11. It has not been specified which halls were trespassed on which dates. The suspect is said to have entered the buildings between 2 and 4 a.m.
According to CUPD Public Information Officer Scott Pribble, the suspect was seen inside the building. Pribble said the dates are still being investigated.
The suspect is described as a white male in his 20s with brown hair, a brown beard and glasses. It is unknown if the suspect is a CU student.
When asked if the suspect is believed to be responsible for the theft on Sept. 26, Pribble said in an email, “We know that he has been in the buildings and that he should not have been there.” Pribble stated the suspect enters the buildings through a window in the first-floor laundry room.
Many residents of these dorms were unaware of the burglary and trespassing.
Sean Dunkelman, a freshman and resident of Brackett Hall, said he has not noticed any suspicious activity within his dorm. Dunkelman feels the atmosphere of Brackett is one where theft would not occur.
“I feel like there’s just a general camaraderie,” Dunkelman said. “We have good relationships with everyone here so it’s not like they’re going to steal from a friend.”
Jaclyn Stickrod, a freshman and Brackett resident, shared these sentiments.
“It’s really surprising to me,” Stickrod said. “I don’t think I’ve come across someone who would be prone to that type of behavior.”
Despite the recent incident, Stickrod feels safe living in her hall. She’s doubtful the suspect is a hall resident.
Several residents have taken security measures in response to the incidents. Freshmen and Brackett roommates Kari Dickman and Resse Turney claim that an acquaintance of theirs awoke to see an unknown man standing in her room several nights ago. It is unknown which hall this may have happened in.
“Since we found out about those girls saying that a man was in there room we’ve been making sure we keep our door locked at night,” Turney said.
Both Turney and Dickman feel less safe after this incident. They’re considering hiring locksmith services to replace their locks because of the incident.
“We never thought that anyone would be coming into our buildings, because the engineering quad is a quiet place,” Dickman said.
Turney feels the security is jeopardized due to the hall access that students have with their Buff OneCard.
Javier Hollins, a senior who works at Aden Hall’s front desk, explained that any resident of one of the four halls in the Quad – Aden, Brackett, Cockerell or Crosman – has access to those halls via their Buff OneCard. Typically residents only have access to their own hall.
Hollins speculated that the suspect could be a resident who has access to these buildings, but believes the suspect is mostly likely not affiliated with CU.
CUPD later sent another email saying that women’s underwear was stolen from a laundry room, presumably by the same suspect.
Anyone with information regarding this crime is encouraged to contact CUPD at (303) 492-6666. CUPD has also provided a link for those who wish to provide information anonymously at www.colorado.edu/police/
Contact Breaking News Editor Robert Tann at robert.tann@colorado.edu.
