March 13, 2003
Contact: Robert Lowery (509-963-1487/fax 509-963-2301/e-mail: loweryr@cwu.edu)
ELLENSBURG, Wash. - Central Washington University police are
continuing their investigation into a number of break-ins that occurred
to campus buildings early this morning (MARCH 13). Campus police
reports indicate forced entries were made into Samuelson Union Building
(SUB), Library, Mitchell Hall, Science Building and Student Health
Center. Property was stolen from each of those facilities.
The most significant loss occurred at the SUB, where nine laptop
computers, valued at $20,000, were taken from a locked cabinet inside
the building.
“These laptops are normally checked out to students studying in
the SUB,” CWU Police Chief Steve Rittereiser says. “They were
particularly popular because of their wireless modem capability. With
finals week coming up this is a particularly difficult loss for
students.”
In the Library, Science Building and Mitchell Hall entries,
thieves pried open vending machines and took an unknown amount of money
from the coin boxes. Damage to the machines is estimated at more than
$5,000.
A forced entry was also discovered at the Student Health Center,
where a small amount of common prescription medication was taken.
Campus police are continuing to collect evidence and processing
each of the crime scenes, each of which sustained significant damage at
the entry points.
“It’s going to take some time to do a thorough processing on these
incidents,” Rittereiser adds. “There are some similarities, but I would
be speculating to say they are all related.”
Individuals who may have any information about the break-ins are
asked to call CWU police at (509) 925-8534.
