Crime

Arrest made in connection with break-ins in Harvard dorms

Unlawful entries into occupied rooms are "very rare," according to campus police.

A police officer stands by an entrance to Harvard Yard on the closed Harvard University campus, April 20, 2020. Adam Glanzman / Bloomberg

By Marta Hill

March 4, 2022

An arrest has been made in connection with a series of break-ins in Harvard University dorms over the past two months.

According to a campus-wide email sent Thursday morning, at around 1 a.m. Thursday an officer on patrol observed a male “behaving in a suspicious manner around several undergraduate residences.”

The officer contacted the individual and, during a field interview, determined he was a suspect in previous burglaries in Harvard Yard.

The name of the suspect has not been released, but according to police, he will also be charged in two of the four previous burglaries occurring in freshman dorms between Feb. 19 and March 2.

Late last month, campus police notified students of two recent burglaries. The incidents in Mower Hall and Wigglesworth Hall took place as occupants slept, and laptops, Air Pods, a backpack, and a wallet were stolen, according to a Feb. 25 statement.

Campus police said unlawful entries into occupied rooms are “very rare” and reminded students of precautions they can take. The statement encourages students to call campus police if they see anyone acting suspiciously, always keep doors locked, close their windows when leaving their rooms, and never prop open doors or let strangers into dorms.