University police investigates two burglaries that occurred over the weekend

Two burglaries took place over the weekend, one in Hedrick Summit and one in an apartment on the 500 block of Landfair Avenue, university police said.

A man broke into an empty dorm room in a Hedrick Summit suite early Saturday morning.

One of the residents of the suite was exiting the bathroom when she heard rustling coming from a room that she knew was supposed to be vacant for the weekend, said UCPD sergeant Miguel Banuelos.

She called out and opened the door around 12:40 a.m. to find the man hiding under a bed, Banuelos said. She screamed, and another resident came in.

The suspect is described as a black man with short, black hair who is about 6 feet tall, 160 pounds and around 25 years old. He was wearing a brown corduroy jacket and a white T-shirt, Banuelos said.

The man backed out of the room when confronted by the residents and ran to the nearest stairwell, Banuelos said.

Banuelos declined to say on what floor the burglary took place because some details of the burglary need to be kept private for the victims’ benefit, he said.

As of press time, police did not know if anything was stolen because the resident who lives in the room has not returned, he said.

The suspect has not been caught. Police do not know if he is a resident of the building or was let in by someone else, Banuelos said.

He added that police will try to get a sketch of the man, and detectives will review video footage on the Hill in case he can be seen leaving the building.

Early Sunday morning, a man broke into an inhabited apartment on the 500 block of Landfair Avenue and stole a wallet and purse.

Two women who are residents of the apartment were there when it was burglarized, university police said. At least one of the women is a UCLA student.

The burglar entered the apartment through a window and was exiting through the front door around 4:20 a.m. when the residents heard him and woke up, Banuelos said.

The man is thought to be about 5 feet, 7 inches tall and 160 pounds, Banuelos said. The residents could not identify any other features because it was too dark.

The residents waited about four hours before reporting the burglary to police, but Banuelos said in these situations people should call as soon as the crime takes place.

When a call comes right away, police can rush to the scene and try to contain the suspect to the building or block, he said.

In light of the two burglaries, police will be increasing patrols in the areas affected, Banuelos said.

He said there are steps residents can take to prevent crimes from happening, such as making sure windows are closed at night, especially on ground or easily accessible floors. He encouraged students to close their doors when leaving a room, even if just for a short time.

Students on the Hill and in apartments can also contact UCPD’s crime prevention officer, James Echols, for help with means of securing windows and doors.

Anyone with information about either of the burglaries should call police at Ҭ310-825-1491.