Quad Intruder Sparks Police Investigation

An intruder tried to enter a Pforzheimer suite twice yesterday morning, and police later found pry marks on the suite’s door.

But the residents of the suite did not report the incident for eight hours, according to Harvard University Police Department (HUPD) spokesperson Steven G. Catalano.

A Holmes Hall resident reported seeing a man who “seemed strange” at breakfast around 8 a.m., said HUPD spokesperson Steven G. Catalano.

Catalano said the resident returned to the suite after breakfast to gather belongings and heard a knock on the door.

Before the resident could answer, the same “strange” individual from breakfast entered and asked the resident what time it was. When the resident answered, the stranger left the room, according to Catalano.

Running to catch the shuttle bus around 8:30 a.m., the resident again encountered the intruder, who was walking back towards the suite, Catalano said.

At around the same time, another resident of the same suite was awakened by someone knocking on the door, Catalano said. The resident looked through the peephole and saw a man who later matched the description of the individual who had entered the suite half an hour before.

After he had attempted to enter the room a second time, the man left the hallway, according to Catalano.

The roommates called HUPD at 5 p.m., and when police reported to the Quad to investigate they found pry marks on the door of the suite.

Catalano said another resident of Holmes Hall who lives across the hall had also seen the man in the building that morning.

Police were not able to release a description of the suspect yesterday.

Catalano said he is “incredibly troubled” and the department is “deeply concerned” that the residents did not call HUPD earlier.

“This is third or fourth time this academic year that HUPD has become aware of individual entering residents’ rooms,” he said. “And either we have not been called, or there’s been a several-hour delay in calling us.”

Catalano said a delay in calling might endanger other residents of the House, prevent HUPD from getting complete information from witnesses or allow a suspect to continue in a developing pattern of crime.

The investigation of this case is ongoing, Catalano said.

—Staff writer Hana R. Alberts can be reached at alberts@fas.harvard.edu.