Adams House Student Catches Thief in the Act

A senior who lives in Adams House's A entry received a shock late Thursday night when he walked in on an intruder who was in the process of disassembling his roommate's stereo.

The burglar had entered the suite through an unlocked door while the student was in the shower.

A television set was also stolen from another unlocked room in A entry.

In response to the incidents, Adams administrators have sent letters and e-mail messages to students re-emphasizing the importance of keeping doors closed and locked as to prevent similar crimes from occurring in the future.

The two burglaries occurred while many seniors were taking part in pre-graduation festivities just down the street at the Hong Kong restaurant.

After stepping out of the shower, Gabriel A. Biller '98 said he heard a crash in the room of his roommate, Ravi C. Chhatpar '98.

According to Chhatpar, Biller investigated the sound and encountered a burglar who appeared to have fallen while trying to move the four stacked components of his roommate's stereo.

"I was really quite terrified," Biller said on coming face-to-face with the intruder. "I didn't know what to do at first."

Covered only by a towel, Biller said he fell while trying to trip the intruder, and the burglar subsequently fled.

In his call to the Harvard University Police Department (HUPD), Biller reported the intrusion and described the alleged burglar as a white male in his 30s, approximately five-feet, eight-inches tall and wearing a green Notre Dame jacket.

He also said he told HUPD that the intruder appeared to be under the influence of drugs. But this detail did not appear in the HUPD's public log.

"He was beyond intoxicated," Biller said. "He looked high."

Biller said that upon apprehending the suspect, HUPD brought him face-to-face with the alleged burglar and asked him to make a positive identification.

He said that because the police did not provide any discreet way for him to identify the suspect, he was worried that thealleged burglar might want revenge.

"I hope the guy doesn't recognize me," he said."I do have some concerns about my safety."

Harvard spokesperson Joe Wrinn said he did notbelieve HUPD would do anything to put Biller atrisk.

"I don't know the specifics, but I assure youthe police wouldn't do anything to endanger awitness," he said.

Still, Biller said he was satisfied with theHUPD response.

"I was very pleased with their service," hesaid.

According to Biller, police responded withinthree minutes of his call.

Jenn Wu '99-'00, the other student whose roomwas burglarized, said she saw a man who wascarrying a television set leaving the A-entrywayaround 11:30 p.m.

But it was not until an hour later, when shereturned to her room after visiting a friend nextdoor, that she realized it had been her TV thatthe man was stealing.

According to the HUPD's log, police receivedBiller's call at 11:53 p.m. on Thursday and sentofficers to the scene. Officers already on thescene responded to Wu's call, which HUPD receivedat 12:22 a.m. Friday morning.

On Friday, the log reported an HUPD arrest ofonly one suspect--31-year-old David J. Concoran ofCambridge. But yesterday the log showed that HUPDhad arrested a second suspect--30-year-oldFernando Victoria of Dorchester--in connectionwith the burglaries.

Concoran is being charged with breaking andentering at night with the intent to commit afelony, larceny of property over $250 andtrespassing according to the log.

According to Wrinn, the delay in listing thesecond arrest in the blotter stemmed from HUPD'slack of concrete evidence to charge Victoria withthe Adams burglary.

Wrinn said after the arrest of Concoran,Victoria was apprehended when he was seen in thearea carrying a television and had an outstandingwarrant for his arrest from an unrelated incident.

HUPD took Victoria's fingerprints in order tocompare them with those found at the crime scene,Wrinn said.

Though she had passed a man leaving Adams witha television, Wu said she was unable to identifythe suspect in question.

Wrinn said HUPD has not charged Victoria withthe burglary, pending the results of the HUPDprint work.

Failure to Promptly Notify?

Adams House Master Robert J. Kiely also praisedHUPD for its quick response, successfulapprehension of the suspects and retrieval of Wu'sstolen television.

"The police did a great job and we're gratefulfor that," he said.

Kiely expressed some concern, however, aboutHUPD's failure to notify him and other housetutors of the crime. He said he did not learn ofthe incident until the next day--and even then, hewas informed by a house tutor.

Leo Trasande '94, a resident tutor living inAdams' A entry, agreed with Kiely and said he wasconcerned that he was not made aware of theincident earlier.

"I was extremely upset that I wasn't notified,"Trasande said. "That's a courtesy that the HUPDshould notify people about [the crime], even inthis acute setting. This and the Kirkland eventbespeak the problem in communication aboutsecurity issues in the Harvard houses."

But Wrinn said that official protocol does notrequire HUPD to directly notify house masters incases like this.

"It is not regular procedure for HUPD to informHouse masters specifically," Wrinn said.

Wrinn said because a tutor was present at thecrime scene, HUPD made an assumption thatcommunication with the House about the incidentwould be through the tutor.

Diana R. Graham '93, the resident tutor for Bentry, said she saw flashing lights from herwindow and went down to see what was happening.

Wrinn acknowledged confusion about who wassupposed to notify whom, but emphasized thatHUPD's failure to notify Kiely was not donemaliciously.

"It would be a mistake to assume that it wasanything intentional or sinister," he said. "Thepolice always follow up with an officialnotification by faxing the House office. To thebest of my knowledge, that [information] was faxedto the House office."

Crime-Prone Area?

The incident in Adams comes only amonth-and-a-half after the mugging of a Harvardjunior in front of St. Paul's Roman CatholicChurch, located across from Adams' A and Bentries.

Trasande said the location of those specificentries makes them more vulnerable than otherAdams entrances, and may merit an increasedsecurity presence.

"The corner of Bow and Arrow Streets isrelatively unguarded because it is on the edge ofHarvard Square," he said. "It is a target [forcrime]."

Chhatpar said he was surprised to learn that anear-theft had occurred in his room.

"It was definitely a shock, especially becausea lot of people leave their doors unlocked,"Biller said.

Both undergraduates and tutors agree thatstudents are often too lax about locking theirdoors, even after last Thursday's incident.

"It's a pretty friendly entryway," said JasonFrydman '98 who also lives in A entry. "We'realways going from one room to another."

Nilizandr E.M. Gilbert '99, whose room isconnected by a bathroom to Wu's, said it isprecisely that friendly atmosphere that oftengives students a false sense of security.

"I understand people's relaxed point of viewabout locking their doors," she said. "The dormhas a homey feeling...and [people think that] onceyou lock the door downstairs, you don't have tolock your room door."

Graham sent an e-mail message to members of herentryway to stress the importance of closing andlocking room doors.

"It's really imperative that people startclosing and locking their doors at all times,whether you are home or not," she wrote. "I knowthat many people (me included, for a little while)like to keep their doors open so that neighborscan come and go, or for convenience, or whatever.But it's a very dangerous practice."

In addition, Chhatpar said the ease of gainingaccess to A entry greatly reduces House security.

"On any given night, there are so many peoplegoing into A and B entries," he said. "Most peopledon't really care who they let in...and they give[strangers] the benefit of the doubt."

Graham said that despite the burglary, she feltfortunate that no one was seriously hurt.

"I think we're lucky that someone wasn'tassaulted or raped," she said.

Wu said she manages to keep the event inperspective despite having her property stolen.

"I found the whole thing kind of amusing," shesaid. "It's kind of like a fun anecdote."

Wu said that although HUPD told her that itrecovered her television, she said they had notreturned it to her as of yesterday afternoon. Shejoked that HUPD might have ulterior motives fornot returning the TV in a more timely fashion.

"They're probably watching soaps during theday," she quipped

"I hope the guy doesn't recognize me," he said."I do have some concerns about my safety."

Harvard spokesperson Joe Wrinn said he did notbelieve HUPD would do anything to put Biller atrisk.

"I don't know the specifics, but I assure youthe police wouldn't do anything to endanger awitness," he said.

Still, Biller said he was satisfied with theHUPD response.

"I was very pleased with their service," hesaid.

According to Biller, police responded withinthree minutes of his call.

Jenn Wu '99-'00, the other student whose roomwas burglarized, said she saw a man who wascarrying a television set leaving the A-entrywayaround 11:30 p.m.

But it was not until an hour later, when shereturned to her room after visiting a friend nextdoor, that she realized it had been her TV thatthe man was stealing.

According to the HUPD's log, police receivedBiller's call at 11:53 p.m. on Thursday and sentofficers to the scene. Officers already on thescene responded to Wu's call, which HUPD receivedat 12:22 a.m. Friday morning.

On Friday, the log reported an HUPD arrest ofonly one suspect--31-year-old David J. Concoran ofCambridge. But yesterday the log showed that HUPDhad arrested a second suspect--30-year-oldFernando Victoria of Dorchester--in connectionwith the burglaries.

Concoran is being charged with breaking andentering at night with the intent to commit afelony, larceny of property over $250 andtrespassing according to the log.

According to Wrinn, the delay in listing thesecond arrest in the blotter stemmed from HUPD'slack of concrete evidence to charge Victoria withthe Adams burglary.

Wrinn said after the arrest of Concoran,Victoria was apprehended when he was seen in thearea carrying a television and had an outstandingwarrant for his arrest from an unrelated incident.

HUPD took Victoria's fingerprints in order tocompare them with those found at the crime scene,Wrinn said.

Though she had passed a man leaving Adams witha television, Wu said she was unable to identifythe suspect in question.

Wrinn said HUPD has not charged Victoria withthe burglary, pending the results of the HUPDprint work.

Failure to Promptly Notify?

Adams House Master Robert J. Kiely also praisedHUPD for its quick response, successfulapprehension of the suspects and retrieval of Wu'sstolen television.

"The police did a great job and we're gratefulfor that," he said.

Kiely expressed some concern, however, aboutHUPD's failure to notify him and other housetutors of the crime. He said he did not learn ofthe incident until the next day--and even then, hewas informed by a house tutor.

Leo Trasande '94, a resident tutor living inAdams' A entry, agreed with Kiely and said he wasconcerned that he was not made aware of theincident earlier.

"I was extremely upset that I wasn't notified,"Trasande said. "That's a courtesy that the HUPDshould notify people about [the crime], even inthis acute setting. This and the Kirkland eventbespeak the problem in communication aboutsecurity issues in the Harvard houses."

But Wrinn said that official protocol does notrequire HUPD to directly notify house masters incases like this.

"It is not regular procedure for HUPD to informHouse masters specifically," Wrinn said.

Wrinn said because a tutor was present at thecrime scene, HUPD made an assumption thatcommunication with the House about the incidentwould be through the tutor.

Diana R. Graham '93, the resident tutor for Bentry, said she saw flashing lights from herwindow and went down to see what was happening.

Wrinn acknowledged confusion about who wassupposed to notify whom, but emphasized thatHUPD's failure to notify Kiely was not donemaliciously.

"It would be a mistake to assume that it wasanything intentional or sinister," he said. "Thepolice always follow up with an officialnotification by faxing the House office. To thebest of my knowledge, that [information] was faxedto the House office."

Crime-Prone Area?

The incident in Adams comes only amonth-and-a-half after the mugging of a Harvardjunior in front of St. Paul's Roman CatholicChurch, located across from Adams' A and Bentries.

Trasande said the location of those specificentries makes them more vulnerable than otherAdams entrances, and may merit an increasedsecurity presence.

"The corner of Bow and Arrow Streets isrelatively unguarded because it is on the edge ofHarvard Square," he said. "It is a target [forcrime]."

Chhatpar said he was surprised to learn that anear-theft had occurred in his room.

"It was definitely a shock, especially becausea lot of people leave their doors unlocked,"Biller said.

Both undergraduates and tutors agree thatstudents are often too lax about locking theirdoors, even after last Thursday's incident.

"It's a pretty friendly entryway," said JasonFrydman '98 who also lives in A entry. "We'realways going from one room to another."

Nilizandr E.M. Gilbert '99, whose room isconnected by a bathroom to Wu's, said it isprecisely that friendly atmosphere that oftengives students a false sense of security.

"I understand people's relaxed point of viewabout locking their doors," she said. "The dormhas a homey feeling...and [people think that] onceyou lock the door downstairs, you don't have tolock your room door."

Graham sent an e-mail message to members of herentryway to stress the importance of closing andlocking room doors.

"It's really imperative that people startclosing and locking their doors at all times,whether you are home or not," she wrote. "I knowthat many people (me included, for a little while)like to keep their doors open so that neighborscan come and go, or for convenience, or whatever.But it's a very dangerous practice."

In addition, Chhatpar said the ease of gainingaccess to A entry greatly reduces House security.

"On any given night, there are so many peoplegoing into A and B entries," he said. "Most peopledon't really care who they let in...and they give[strangers] the benefit of the doubt."

Graham said that despite the burglary, she feltfortunate that no one was seriously hurt.

"I think we're lucky that someone wasn'tassaulted or raped," she said.

Wu said she manages to keep the event inperspective despite having her property stolen.

"I found the whole thing kind of amusing," shesaid. "It's kind of like a fun anecdote."

Wu said that although HUPD told her that itrecovered her television, she said they had notreturned it to her as of yesterday afternoon. Shejoked that HUPD might have ulterior motives fornot returning the TV in a more timely fashion.

"They're probably watching soaps during theday," she quipped