Unidentified Man Robs Thayer Room

Two residents of Thayer Hall reported that an unidentified male stole a laptop and a television from a room in Thayer on Wednesday night, according to an e-mail sent by the Harvard University Police Department (HUPD).

The burglar entered the victim’s walk-through double through the room’s unlocked door at around 11:20 p.m., according to the victim’s roommate Haili E. Muse ’11.

Muse said that the burglar then asked her for a person whose name she did not recognize.

“I got really freaked out, so I locked my [bedroom] door,” said Muse. “Then I heard a loud crash, and the door slammed.”

When Muse walked out of her bedroom into the common room, she said that she noticed that her roommate’s television and laptop were missing.

The victim, who declined to comment on the incident, was not present at the time of the robbery, which occurred on the third floor.

According to the HUPD report, “the offender is described as a Hispanic male in his 30s, 5’11” in height, weighing approximately 190 pounds, with no facial hair, dark-colored hair, wearing dark baggy clothes and a dark baseball hat, and carrying a dark-colored back pack.”

As a result of the incident, HUPD said it will increase its presence in the area. They also advise that residents not allow strangers to “piggyback” on access cards and keep doors locked at all times.

To increase security outside of the Yard, the College’s 12 upperclass Houses hired 24-hour security guards at the beginning of the semester after an undergraduate was caught producing counterfeit Harvard IDs.

Thayer resident Oliver D. Strand ’11 said that the robbery did not make him feel unsafe in the dorm.

“Everyone who I’ve encountered in the house is very nice, and I don’t think this happens often,” said Strand. “This is a really tragic incident and I’m going to be more careful about locking my doors, but I don’t feel any more threatened in Thayer.”

But Muse said that she had doubts about Thayer’s safety.

“There are four ways to get in [Thayer], including a double door where one door closes before the other,” Muse said. “But as long as you lock your own door, you should be fine.”

HUPD spokesman Steven G. Catalano declined to comment on the report.

—Staff writer Nan Ni can be reached at nni@fas.harvard.edu.

—Staff writer Kevin C. Leu can be reached at kleu@fas.harvard.edu.