Man steals 55 MacBook laptops from YRL

University police are searching for a man wanted for stealing 55 MacBook Pro laptops from the Charles E. Young Research Library early Saturday morning.

The laptops were stolen from an equipment loan room on the ground floor that is part of the Campus Library Instructional Computing Commons, police said. The man smashed an east-facing window and then smashed the window on a door to a room where laptops are held.

Police said the man took the library-owned 13-inch MacBook Pro computers and chargers, worth about $33,000 in total.

The man entered the library at 2:26 a.m. Saturday and walked straight to the equipment loan room, said UCPD Lt. Mark Littlestone. He left the room with three roller suitcases and a shoulder bag about 15 minutes later.

Based on video footage, police described the man as white and about 5 feet 10 inches tall with a medium build. He was wearing UCLA sweatpants and blue running shoes.

Littlestone said the man has a similar appearance to a man who police said stole two MacBook Pro laptops from the UCLA Store in Ackerman Union in late September.

A member of the library staff reported the crime to police at 9:30 a.m. Saturday, a half-hour before the laptop lending room was expected to open.

The CLICC service at YRL is temporarily closed, and students are being referred to computer labs at different campus libraries, according to a university statement.

Littlestone said police are still analyzing video footage and hope to find other footage, including from outdoor cameras.

No further information was immediately available. The case is still under investigation.

Anyone with information about the incident or the man can call UCPD at (310) 825-9371.

Compiled by Sam Hoff, Bruin senior staff.