Page One
Lone man likely responsible for dorm assaults
Similarities of two recent incidents in which a male suspect allegedly laid in wait inside the UC Berkeley dorm rooms of female victims have the police thinking the occurrences are related.
On Monday, a man reportedly entered a dorm at 2300 Warring St. and hid in a closet before fleeing after a female resident opened the closet door.
After hearing of Monday’s incident, another resident of the same building reported to police that she saw a man with a video camera approach her and pull back curtains while she was showering on June 14.
Both women described the intruder as about 6 feet tall, 30 years old, 200 pounds with short hair. Police believe that because the descriptions of the suspect and crimes are so similar, they may be indeed looking for one man.
According to Inspector Lui of the Berkeley Police Department, the intruder in each incident likely entered the dorm building through the front door which had been left open on both occasions.
On Monday morning a 20-year-old dorm resident heard noises coming from a hallway closet at about 11:45. She tried to open the door, but felt someone pulling on the handle from inside. According to a police report, the resident at first believed someone was playing a joke on her.
However, after repeated attempts to open the door, the resident walked away, fearing an intruder. From the hallway, she saw a man backing out of the closet while carrying a garbage can. The man left carrying the can through the front door and headed south on Warring Street. The resident later found the can discarded on the street. The suspect was wearing khaki shorts and sunglasses.
Police at Stanford University are also searching for a man suspected of prowling inside two campus dorms in May and early June. On May 25 a suspect described as heavy-set, Hispanic, mid to late 20s, 5 feet and 3 inches tall, allegedly approached a student and followed her into her dorm after she had been sunbathing. The suspect then allegedly groped and grabbed the 20-year-old victim from behind before a dormmate helped scare him away.
A man fitting the same description was seen June 10 in the women’s restroom of Stanford’s Stern Hall at midnight. A resident’s assistant reportedly escorted the same man out of Stanford’s Wilbur Hall an hour later.
Police are reminding students that they should not open the doors to their dorms to anyone they do not know. Anyone with information about the UC Berkeley case is urged to call either campus police at 642-6760 or Berkeley police at 981-5900. With information about the Stanford incidents call police at 650-723-9633.
Contact reporter at
chris@berkeleydailyplanet.net
