Suspect wanted for attempting to steal laptop in dorms

On Tuesday, Oct. 21, at 5 p.m. a black male entered the room of a Stanford Residential College resident and attempted to unplug her laptop computer while she was sleeping.

According to police, the resident awoke and asked the suspect what he was doing in her room. He replied that he was looking for someone and fled.

The offender was described as a black male, six feet tall, 180 lbs., with a muscular build, in his early twenties. At the time of the attempted theft he was wearing a white, tank-top style undershirt and a green bandanna.

According to Stanford administration, UM security measures are top-notch, but it is up to students to ensure that intruders are not allowed to enter into the residence halls before security sign-ins begin at 10 p.m.

“I’ve worked at three different institutions, and this is by far the best as far as security goes,” said Jon Bono, residence coordinator for Stanford Residential College. “It’s just up to the students to take responsibility.”

Some suggestions that Bono had were locking doors when going to the bathroom or to other rooms in the building. He also suggested that students lock their doors before they go to sleep.

“We put a lot of money into security for this building and in all the residential colleges on campus, with the staff security, card swiping and security cameras,” Bono said. “It just depends on the residents.”

Common courtesies such as holding the door for the person behind you or signing in unknown persons between the hours of 10 p.m. and 8 a.m. can undermine the school’s security efforts.

However, Bono believes that residents can be considerate while at the same time being attentive to the security situation.

“When you walk through that door, just ask, ‘Hey, do you live here?’ If the person replies, ‘Yes, I’m on Rosborough 12,’ and the person is female, you know they have to be lying because Rosborough 12 is a boy floor,” Bono said. “Just be aware.”

According to Public Safety officials, 54 cases of burglary have been reported at the UM Coral Gables campus residential colleges in the past three years.

Stanford Walsh tower resident Emmy Morrison, freshman, said that she does not feel threatened.

“I think everyone feels immune to it, unless it happens to you or someone you know,” Morrison said. “I’m not personally worried about it.”

Some residents are more concerned.

“We keep our door locked all the time,” said Shannon Price, freshman and Stanford Rosborough tower resident. “But something like this is kind of creepy.”

If caught, the suspect will be charged with burglary and attempted grand theft.

Anyone with information regarding this crime is asked to call Public Safety at 305-284-6666 or Crimestoppers at 305-471-TIPS, where callers will remain anonymous and become eligible for a cash reward.

Public Safety encourages all residents to keep their doors locked at all times and to keep small personal property secured.

Students are asked to immediately report suspicious activity to campus police.

The Miami Hurricane will continue to follow up on this case as leads surface and police continue their investigation.

Jillian Bandes can be contacted at j.bandes@umiami.edu