A 20-year-old woman awoke to an intruder in her College Court residence early Sunday morning, according to a police report. The burglar allegedly “growled” at the woman before fleeing with her roommate’s laptop, the report said.
According to the report, a man dressed in dark clothing entered the apartment, located on the 900 block of College Court, through an unlocked sliding glass door at approximately 5:11 a.m.
Madison Police Department spokesperson Joel DeSpain said at least two women were in the apartment at the time, but only one woke up to the noise of the intruder because she had fallen asleep in a chair near the sliding glass door.
After realizing he had been noticed, the intruder “growled” at the woman and took off with her roommate’s MacBook laptop computer, according to DeSpain, who said laptops and cellphones, “particularly iPhones,” are common targets of residential burglaries.
DeSpain also said it is “hard to predict” the likelihood of identifying and arresting a suspect in this type of case. However, he said the MPD will collect forensic evidence, such as fingerprints.
Additionally, the MPD looks at items sold in pawn shops and on Craigslist to track down stolen items, which can be used to identify criminals, according to DeSpain.
According to DeSpain, many burglaries in off-campus housing areas occur because “opportunistic burglars,” who are less likely to pick a lock, are able to single out homes with unlocked windows and doors.
“This is sort of a case in point on that one,” he said. “Had the sliding door been secured, the likelihood that these women would be victimized would have been a lot less.”
