c/o Spencer Landers

Despite the proximity of the cases, the MPD does not believe that the two incidents are related. There is limited information on the suspects in these cases, but they were described as a white individual, while the suspect in the Low Rise case was described as a Black man.

Petty thefts like the one at Low Rise occur fairly often in Middletown, Conn. From January to August 2024, there were 43 charges of sixth-degree larceny—cases of theft where the property taken is valued at $250 or less—in the area, according to MPD crime statistics. However, most of the time these cases do not happen at residential properties. 

“The vast majority of the time when we have a theft complaint, it would be something from a retail establishment,” MPD Captain Brian Hubbs said. “A lot of times it’s something where the parties know one another…. It’s relatively infrequent to have it be like this.” 

Break-ins, however, are much less common. MPD crime statistics recorded six charges of second degree trespassing from January to August 2024, which includes all cases where someone enters or stays on private property without permission. 

On campus, break-ins are similarly uncommon. However, these cases mark the third and fourth at the University this calendar year, after an intruder entered the Butterfield A dormitory in January during winter break and an unknown suspect entered the Bennet and WestCo dormitories this past April and stole student belongings. The Low Rise incident marks the second time this year that a break-in led to property theft. These incidents are often linked with specific times of the school year. 

“We tend to see this type of activity, where perpetrators anticipate that…it’s still warm enough [students are] likely to have windows open, doors ajar, maybe even propping some stuff; there are still outside activities,” Director of PSafe Scott Rohde said. “The first four to five weeks of school, and then again after spring break until commencement, that tends to be where we see these things clustered.”

Pine Street Attempted Break-In

The Pine Street residence was the first student accommodation to report an incident on Saturday, Sept. 7, when one of the residents called PSafe after noticing someone attempting to break in through their bedroom window. 

“A student heard a sound on a bedroom window and observed a screen being pushed in,” Rohde said. “The screen ended up receiving some damage from that. Person did not come into the residence, but the resident noticed it…. There was an intent to enter through that window.” 

There are no known suspects and the resident who reported the incident was only able to make out the person’s hand. As part of their response to the incident, the MPD conducted a check of the area, but were unable to find anything.

“The police came out and did a check of the area and also did check with a tracking canine to see if that individual was still in the area,” Rohde said. “They checked a few residences where it looked like footprints had led to and verified that those people were not involved.” 

After being noticed by the resident, who called out, the person attempting to enter the Pine Street home fled the scene. As the person attempting to enter the residence reacted verbally, which is unusual in breaking and entering cases, the MPD believes that the suspect did not intend to break in. 

“The officers made the conclusion that it might have been a student that just went to the wrong room because the person was like, ‘Woah, woah, woah’ and then took off, almost as though they realized, ‘Oh, I made a mistake’ as opposed to not responding at all,” Hubbs said. “There was nothing on video to suggest that they had an actual attempted burglary.” 

The MPD is actively investigating the case, though there are no new developments and no suspects at the time of publication. 

Low Rise Burglary 

Shortly after the incident at the Pine Street residence, PSafe received a call about an unknown suspect entering a Low Rise apartment. 

“A sliding glass door to the unit was ajar or was unlocked and partially open, and the person slid the door open and did actually in this case enter into the apartment,” Rohde said. “Some cash was taken from inside the student residence.”

Witnesses reported that the suspect in the Low Rise burglary was a Black man, approximately 5′8″ to 6′ tall, with a light beard and short cropped hair and wearing a gray shirt. At the time of the incident, the MPD was able to identify a possible suspect and take them into custody. However, since then the suspect has been cleared and released.

“The officers detained someone outside of [The] Gasman,” Hubbs said. “The individual was stopped, identified. He was very helpful, but it turns out he actually lived across the street and had just stepped out of the house…. His description was similar, but it wasn’t a perfect match to what they were looking for, so that person was subsequently let go.” 

There are no new suspects in the case at this time, and it is being actively investigated by the MPD. 

While Hudson Wang ’26, a Low Rise resident, isn’t too concerned about the incident, he has resolved to close his windows and feels there are some gaps in the general safety of campus.

“Even though we think it’s safe enough, it’s not always safe enough,” Wang said. “Citing [President] Michael Roth’s [’78] book, ‘Safe Enough Spaces,’ it might not actually be a safe-enough space. It could always be safer.”

In both cases that occurred on Saturday, Sept. 7, the perpetrators were able to access or attempt to access student spaces because of unlocked doors and windows. Rohde emphasized the importance of keeping student dormitories completely locked to prevent future incidents. 

“I’m not concerned that we’re going to see a continued pattern, but I have no evidence to say it could not happen again,” Rohde said. “So those evening hours, [it’s] very important that students have extra lighting on, they are always locking their spaces, and good communication with roommates.” 

Hubbs echoed Rohde’s statement and highlighted the fact that students need to be aware of their place within the Middletown community as well as within the University. 

“You still are living in a city, and although it’s the Wesleyan campus, it’s not a lone island,” Hubbs said. “It’s not hard for someone from outside of the Wesleyan community who is a Middletown resident to come into campus. So my suggestion would be, as always, keep your doors locked. Keep your valuables secured…. Try not to keep large amounts of cash readily available.” 

The all-campus emails sent by Rohde and Assistant Director of PSafe Kathy Burdick also recommended avoiding propping doors and holding them open for strangers, as well as reporting any suspicious activity to PSafe or the MPD with a description of any suspects and their vehicles, if applicable. 

“Keep reporting stuff,” Hubbs said. “Whether it be to us or to Public Safety, it doesn’t matter to me as long as somebody gets the report of it and starts looking into it.”

Spencer Landers contributed to reporting and can be reached at sklanders@wesleyan.edu. 
Caleb Henning can be reached at chenning@wesleyan.edu.