Students who live inside Clothier Residence Hall on the campus of Rutgers-New Brunswick woke up to the news that someone had broken into two separate dorms and tried to steal belongings.
Police say the incidents happened between 4 a.m. and 4:30 a.m. on Saturday inside the building.
"I can't imagine someone coming into my new home, like I just moved in a month ago, and trying to steal my things. That's so scary. It's not OK," said Clara Keller, a sophomore who lives in the residence hall where the attempted burglaries happened.
Police reported that in both incidents, someone said they saw a person inside their dorm room, taking valuable items and attempting to leave with them. But the items were returned when, in both incidents, the victims told the person to put them back. The suspect then left.
Police say there were no injuries reported and no signs of forced entry.
"It does make me scared because we don't really have security inside the dorms. We just have cameras and [resident assistants] which are also students, so really there's nothing they could do,” says sophomore Maricen Grays. “It’s normally really quiet. Most of the crime happens on Easton Avenue. It's really surprising to have something happen really close over here.”
Students who live in this section of campus the day after hearing about the incidents say they're going to pay extra attention and be more mindful of their surroundings.
"If I see something suspicious, I am definitely gonna report it, say something about it, and I am gonna lock my door all the time,” said Keller. “Make sure it is always locked. Always have my key and never leave it unlocked because it's very dangerous.”
Police say the suspect is a male between the ages of 18 and 24 years old. He is approximately 5 feet, 7 inches to 5 feet, 8 inches tall. He was wearing gray jeans, a black hooded sweatshirt and a black bandana at the time of the incident.
Police say they have increased patrols in the area.
Rutgers University police are asking anyone with information to call them at 732-932-7211, or press 2-7211 on any campus phone.