Two car burglaries reported at Rutgers, New Gibbons, suspect remains at large

An unidentified person suspected of breaking into vehicles parked outside a Rutgers residence hall has still not been caught. 

The Rutgers University Police Department (RUPD) is currently investigating two car burglaries that occurred early Friday morning in the New Gibbons Hall parking lot on Cook campus.

In the incident, items of value were removed from motor vehicles, said Det. Lt. Brian Emmett in an email to The Daily Targum. It is unclear if the two incidents are related at this time. 

Initial observations from people who claimed they were robbed were that at least five vehicles were broken into. But, some with claims did not report them to the police, as nothing significant was taken and they knew RUPD was already investigating.

Heather Mason, a School of Arts and Sciences senior, said he heard a few car doors open from his room at approximately 5:20 a.m. 

“Since I was awake already I wanted to see if maybe I knew someone,” Mason said. “Instead, I saw this tallish, thin figure wearing all black walking away from a car that they tried to open but was locked. At that point I was thinking ‘Okay maybe it was the wrong car?’ But then they opened up another car next to that one and kept looking around while ducking into the car every now and then.”

He said he called the police at that point and saw the person go to the back of that car and take something out. 

The person walked to three more cars before walking to the bus stop and out of sight, Mason said. 

Lexus Salmon, a School of Arts and Sciences sophomore, said she first realized her girlfriend’s car had been broken into at approximately 1 p.m. when Mason, her roommate, said his car had been ransacked.

“As soon as we walked over to it, all the stuff that they didn’t want to take was on the side of the car, on the floor,” she said. 

Salmon said her girlfriend had an iPhone 6, gold chain, mega boom speaker and Chase checkbook stolen from her car. 

Emmett said RUPD would like to remind people that they can reduce their chances of being a victim of a crime by taking reasonable precautions, including locking their vehicle, concealing the valuables left inside and utilizing anti-theft devices such as car alarms.

RUPD asked that anyone with information, or who may have been in the area at the time, to contact the Rutgers Police Department Detective Bureau at 848-932-8025.