Burglar Strikes Three Suites in Matthews Hall

First-years in three Matthews Hall suites awoke yesterday morning to find that their common rooms had been burglarized while they were sleeping.

The burglar--who police believe is neither a student nor a professional--took mostly wallets and cash, skipping over more valuable items.

According to the Harvard University Police Department (HUPD), the burglar entered the unlocked suites on the fourth and fifth floors of the dorm early in the morning and rifled through belongings.

The victims discovered they had been robbed when they stumbled on the crook's path.

Geoffrey M. Stevens '03 found his Yankees hat in the trash in the fifth floor bathroom when he got up this morning.

"We thought maybe it was a drunken Red Sox fan," Stevens' roommate Matt D. Gibson '03 said.

Only later, when Stevens looked for his student ID, did he notice that his wallet was missing.

He returned to the bathroom, and found his wallet--minus his ATM card and $20 cash. Stevens also found Gibson's backpack and an unidentified pair of brand new unlaced women's sneakers in the trash.

"We thought it was weird," Stevens said.

The bathrooms in Matthews can only be opened with a key, but students broke the fifth floor lock intentionally early in the semester.

"It was a matter of convenience," one resident said.

The suite doors, however, do not lock automatically. The members of two burglarized suites said they did not even know their doors were unlocked.

"I don't know why we didn't lock our door last night. We always do," Berkow said.

While larcenies are frequent on Harvard's campus, HUPD officials said that yesterday's incident was uncommon.

HUPD Officer Robert K. Reyes said that nothing "of this caliber" has happened recently.

According to Gibson, police have speculated that someone might have interrupted the burglar inside the bathroom, since Gibson's camera was found near the bathroom door.

Six students said their wallets had been stolen, and more said their belongings had been disturbed during the night.

In all three suites, laptops, cell phones and cameras were left untouched.

"I don't believe it was a student at all," Reyes said. "Someone was looking for cash or credit cards."

Police have hopes the students' wallets will be recovered, and put the chances of recovery at 70 to 80 percent.

"Criminals usually strip these down to just the credit cards and then dump the wallets somewhere," said Reyes. "Usually, in about a week, we'll start getting calls about found wallets."

Berkow hopes that that is true. "I don't care about the money, but I'd really like my wallet back," she said.

Bumps in the Night

"The thing that scares me is the idea of someone coming into my room," said Jordan R. Berkow '03.

"I was sleeping right there when this happened," Gerby K. Marks '03 said, pointing into the neighboring room. "It creeps me out."

Her black Express jacket was stolen; her wallet was in the pocket.

"I first noticed it when I went looking for my favorite lip gloss, which was in the jacket pocket," Marks said.

Her roommate's academic planner was stolen; again, the wallet was inside.

The Sunday morning incident was not the first in the Yard this year.

The HUPD log shows that Canaday residents have reported several thefts; and rumors have circulated that one first-year awoke to find a man in her room reaching for her laptop computer.

Proctor Eric E. Paras said HUPD has said that yesterday's incident might be linked to robberies last year.

"Matthews seems prone to this type of thing," Paras said. "Security is an issue here."

HUPD Sergeant James L. McCarthy had a message for all students-- "Lock your doors."

Anyone with information on yesterday's burglaries should call the HUPD at 495-1215. HUPD is planning extra patrols in the Yard by both plainclothes and uniformed officers.