Several University departments experienced a rash of thefts over the past couple of weeks, including three reported thefts and one attempt.
One theft occurred in Clancy Thurber’s Underground in the Collier House, along with one attempted theft at the Museum of Art administration office in the same building. One theft occurred at the Yamada Language Center in Pacific Hall and another happened at the multimedia computer lab in Lawrence Hall.
Department of Public Safety Lt. Herb Horner said both incidents at the Collier House were reported on April 26, but they happened some time during the preceding weekend. He said the DPS report stated the building was secured Friday afternoon and the incidents went unnoticed until staff returned Monday morning.
Horner said money was removed from the safe inside the Clancy Thurber restaurant, but he did not know how much. The manager of the restaurant could not be reached for comment on the specific amount or how the suspect entered the location.
Horner said the Museum of Art office showed signs of forced entry. The lock was broken on the entrance doors and the screws were busted out of the wall. He added that someone had gone through the office and the drawers, possibly looking for money, but nothing was taken.
Yamada Language Center Director Jeff Magoto said the theft at the language center occurred during the evening of April 27 and $65 was taken from the center’s cash drawer.
The suspect was able to enter the center after hours because of a propped-open door. Magoto said a teacher holding an evening class kept the door open so her students could enter.
Magoto said he saw the suspect looking at a catalog of materials.
“He looked decidedly not like a student,” Magoto said, adding that he provided a description to DPS.
Horner said the Pacific Hall theft may have been committed by the same person as the Clancy Thurber theft.
“The two descriptions match, so it is definitely someone of interest,” Horner said.
Horner said nobody saw the person take anything, but he was visible in the area during both thefts.
DPS Interim Director Tom Hicks said the suspect is a white adult male in his late 30s or early 40s. He is about 5 feet, 10 inches tall, with a medium build, and has an “unkept” and “scruffy” appearance. His hair is a sandy blonde color with a medium length. He added that on both occasions, the man was wearing a cap, blue jeans or coveralls, a gray T-shirt, red and gray plaid overshirt and carrying a backpack.
There is no suspect for the Lawrence Hall theft.
Michael Smith, director of Architecture and Allied Arts facilities services, said the CPUs and hard drives of 12 computers were stolen from Room 283 in Lawrence Hall on April 21.
He said the thief broke into the room through the doors, adding that pry marks were found on the doors.
The thief also bypassed the fiber-optic system on the computers by removing the cables, but that problem has been fixed. Smith said holes have been drilled in all of the computers for the fiber-optic cables so that someone would have to break the computer case to remove the cables.
Smith also said security has been increased by giving students their own code to get into the locked room. Previously, each class had a general code, which made it difficult to track down someone breaking the rules, he said.
Smith said this incident reinforced thoughts of the vulnerability of Lawrence Hall. He added that there are 27 doors to enter the building.
He also said they deal with the on-going issue of students propping doors open. In order to educate students and staff about safety concerns and security, blanket e-mails have gone out to students and staff members in addition to department meetings and in-class discussions .
Hicks urges anyone with information about these incidents to contact DPS at 346-5444.