Sobrato rooms burglarized during move-in
By Richard Nieva
While many students underwent the move-in process lifting furniture and filling in dorm room condition forms, several early arrival Sobrato residents greeted the new school year filling out police reports.
Seven laptops and an iPod were stolen from Sobrato Residence Hall when two suspects forcibly entered at least eight suites, apartments and individual rooms by breaking locks and prying open doors last Thursday afternoon, Campus Safety Director Charlie Arolla said.
Sophomore Cassie Camilleri, an orientation leader who had moved in to Sobrato early, was awakened from her nap as the suspect pried open her locked door with a screwdriver.
Camilleri asked, "Hello?" and the suspect replied, "Oh, sorry," and quickly left without Camilleri having a chance to get a good look, she said.
"Honestly, it was weird, but I didn't think anything of it because I just did not expect anyone to be breaking into my suite," said Camilleri.
The first suspect, according to Vice Provost for Student Life Jeanne Rosenberger, was described by witnesses as a Hispanic male adult, between the age of 20 and 22, standing between 5 feet 8 inches and 5 feet 10 inches tall with a medium build. He had no facial hair and was wearing a large or long white shirt.
The second suspect was described by witnesses as a black male adult, between 20 and 22 years old, 5 feet 10 inches to 6 feet 1 inch tall with a medium build. He had short black hair and no facial hair, wearing large diamond earrings, a large shiny silver necklace and medallion, and a large white shirt.
Another campus break-in occurred Sunday night, when a suspect tried to gain entry into Graham 200 Residence Hall through a window.
Campus Safety responded and notified Santa Clara police, who arrested the suspect on suspicion of attempted burglary. Campus Safety could not confirm whether or not Sunday's suspect played a role in last Thursday's burglaries, Arolla said.
School officials are now taking extra precautions, said Rosenberger. Officials are also discussing adding new locking devices and what Rosenberger described as an "added layer of security."
Officials are discussing the addition of deadbolts on exterior suite doors and are looking into the cost of security cameras, said Arolla.
Since the burglaries, the university has changed the entry profile for both Sobrato and Casa Italiana Halls, restricting access only to community members via a swipe of the access card, like any other residence hall, said Arolla.
School officials are worried that unlike the similar thefts that occurred last year in Swig, McLaughlin and Walsh Halls, these thefts were not "crimes of opportunity" -- crimes that occur because a burglar sees an opening to steal due to an unlocked door or window, or any other case of negligence.
Anyone with information regarding the burglaries may call Campus Safety at (408) 554-4441.
Contact Richard Nieva at (408) 554-4546 or rnieva@scu.edu.