c/o Carolyn Neugarten
On Saturday, Jan. 12, the Middletown Police Department and the University’s Office of Public Safety (PSafe) responded to a call claiming that an unknown intruder had gained entrance into the University’s Butterfield A (Butts A) residence hall.
After a loud sound of breaking glass, alarmed Butts A residents headed to the main lounge to see an unknown person who appeared to be male, dressed in black clothes and a ski mask, entering the building through a shattered first-floor window. The intruder began moving toward the laundry area.
“I was shocked,” a Butts A resident who wished to remain anonymous said. “It was scary. You don’t think this stuff happens here.”
Once seen by students, the individual exited Butts A through the laundry room entrance and fled the scene on a moped they had rested against the Amazon lockers. The perpetrator appeared to be alone.
“We don’t know if there was some other activity planned,” Director of PSafe Scott Rohde said. “But at this point, the most likely theory is property crime.”
In the past, individuals or multiple perpetrators have targeted University dorms over winter or spring breaks, when it is most likely for a building to be empty. Intruders generally try multiple dorm handles in search of unlocked rooms and look for items with high resale value, such as cellular devices, iPads, AirPods, and laptops. These electronic devices are then sold to manufacturers that repackage them for profit.
In this instance, the perpetrator was unable to reach any dorm rooms before being spotted by Butts A residents. They did not take anything from the main lounge area.
“The person didn’t go into any rooms, steal anything from inside the building, but it certainly looks like the intent was to enter the premises,” Rohde said. “[The person] probably thought that no one was there.”
PSafe and the Middletown Police Department promptly responded to a student call about the incident, but arrived too late to confront the individual.
Following the break-in, officers received calls from community members claiming they had seen an individual in all black in various parts of the Middletown area, but the information did not lead to identification. University residences do not have security cameras installed in main areas, so no footage could be used to identify the intruder.
A similar incident occurred during spring break of the 2022–23 school year, when PSafe received a call regarding an intrusion in Nicolson 5. The perpetrator was reported to have entered through a propped-open door, then headed to a nearby restroom and taken a picture of a resident in the shower. When seen, the individual promptly fled the building. However, Rohde assured that University community that residence intrusions are relatively uncommon.
PSafe recommends that students in University residences always lock windows and doors at night and any time before leaving the building. They also urge students to never leave doors propped open, as uninvited guests and animals can gain entry, putting everyone within the residence at risk. Additionally, it is not wise to keep large amounts of money in dorm rooms.
“Public Safety always encourages vigilance on the part of students,” Rohde wrote. “This means not holding doors for other individuals, including students.”
PSafe officers are on duty and available 24/7 at 860-685-3333 for emergencies and 860-685-2345 for non-emergencies if students need assistance. In any life-threatening situations, students should call 911 immediately.
Caleb Henning contributed reporting.
Carolyn Neugarten can be reached at cneugarten@wesleyan.edu.