Campus Alert Archive
USC

Employee-area burglary at International Themed Residential College

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Under Investigation

USC Department of Public Safety published a crime alert for a burglary in the International Themed Residential College employee area.

Alerts
1
Response
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Killed
—
Injured
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Institution
University of Southern California
Private R1 · CA
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~49,000 studentsTrojansAlert
Official alert policy
Read when and how USC says it will use TrojansAlert: summarized, quoted, and analyzed.
Documented Timeline

Alert Sequence

1 message in sequence · 1 verified verbatim

Confirmed wording is transcribed character-for-character from a primary source. Use Verify this quote under each message to open that source in a new tab and compare the text yourself.

INITIAL ALERTEmail
Verified verbatim4357 chars
Incident Description: A suspect entered the International Themed Residential College employee area and stole property. The suspect left in an unknown direction. Reported Offense: Burglary Date & Time of Occurrence: 08/24/2026 12:40 a.m. – 08/24/2026 7:00 a.m. Location: On campus at the International Themed Residential College Report Number: 2602819 Vehicle Description: None Suspect Description (provided by reporting party): Age: 40 to 50 years old Eye Color: Brown Hair Color: Black buzzed hair Height: 5 foot 10 inches to 6 foot Race: Black Sex: Male Weight: 200 to 220 pounds Additional Description: Wearing a colorful shirt, black pants, red sweater wrapped around his waist, red Addidas shoes, and carrying a black suitcase Weapon: None Click the link(s) below to view images related to this alert: Image 1 If you are in immediate DANGER, call the Los Angeles Police Department at 911 or the USC Department of Public Safety at (213) 740-4321. Please note that race, ethnicity, gender and/or religious affiliation are NOT considered the basis for suspicion; only behaviors are considered suspicious. If you have any questions or information relevant to the crime(s) reflected in this alert, immediately call DPS at (213) 740-6000 for the University Park Campus (UPC), (323) 442-1000 for the Health Sciences Campus (HSC) or (213) 485-6571 for the LAPD Southwest Division. The Department of Public Safety (DPS) issues Crime Alerts to the university community, in compliance with the Clery Act, when a criminal incident occurs within USC’s Clery geography and represents either a serious or continuing threat to the safety of students, employees and others. The purpose of this warning is to aid in the prevention of similar crimes by alerting the community about the incident and to provide information which allows individuals to make informed decisions about their personal safety. USC Department of Public Safety Recommendations – Burglary - If you observe a crime in progress or discover your home has been burglarized, go to a safe location and call DPS emergency at (213) 740-4321 for UPC, (323) 442-1000 for HSC, or call 911 for LAPD. - Do not attempt to apprehend any suspects or perpetrators of crime. Your personal safety and the safety of others around you should be your primary concern. - Lock your doors and windows, especially when leaving your residence. - Be a good witness: It is important to recall what you observed and provide as many details as possible to law enforcement such as: the sex, race, age, height, hair color, clothing, tattoos, scars of any suspects and a description of the make and model of any vehicle used in the crime and its license plate if possible. For other options to contact DPS, report crime, and ask for help, please visit USC DPS Report a Crime. USC Transportation provides options to travel around USC including the Lyft Rides Program: - Get a Ride : Lyft is available at HSC and UPC to cover shared rides. Lyft at UPC is open from 7 p.m. to 2 a.m. seven days a week (*on home football game days, the program begins 5 hours after scheduled kickoff). Lyft at HSC is open from 5 p.m. to 2 a.m., Monday through Friday only. Please visit the USC Lyft page for more information. - Verify your driver and car: Once you have requested a Lyft ride, you can view the driver’s rating. When your ride arrives, make sure the driver’s photo, license plate number, and vehicle description match. Never take a ride you did not request or get into a car that doesn’t match the details provided by the Lyft app. - Go the extra mile: The Lyft app’s “share your ETA” function allows you to invite friends to see your trip in real-time. The app will draft a text message you can share with friends that includes your ETA and a link to a live map that allows them to track your trip. Too much effort? Call a friend and stay on the line while you’re in the car instead. To receive more information from USC DPS, please register for TrojansAlert: - TrojansAlert: Register for USC’s emergency notification system TrojansAlert t o allow university officials to contact you during an emergency by sending messages via text message and email. (Please note that students, staff and faculty automatically are signed up for TrojansAlerts. For additional USC Resources, please visit USC Report & Response.
Verify this quote
USC DPS official crime alert pagedps.usc.edufind archived copies
Dual independent HTML fetch 2026-08-26. sha256 4697fee3e659adfcb9d3b6d0150f4881b7c1e0bc867105f7dc2e25dcf0a1ebb8.
Photos linked from the page were not transcribed.
Official standing chrome (DANGER/911, Clery purpose, burglary recommendations, Lyft, TrojansAlert) included as transmitted on the DPS page.
Official Addidas spelling in suspect description preserved. Posted 2026-08-25 07:17 PDT; incident window is 08/24/2026.
Message elements

How the first alert is built

To check this alert, SuperGrok Heavy 4.5 (an AI) read it in full 25 separate times, independently. Each read decided whether the message answers each of the six questions and gave a short reason. A final reviewer then weighed all 25 and wrote the plain-English verdict you see when you open a row. The score (for example 22/25) is how many reads agreed; the 25 individual reads are tucked underneath if you want to check them.

Incident Description: A suspect entered the International Themed Residential College employee area and stole property. The suspect left in an unknown direction. Reported Offense: Burglary Date & Time of Occurrence: 08/24/2026 12:40 a.m. – 08/24/2026 7:00 a.m. Location: On campus at the International Themed Residential College Report Number: 2602819 Vehicle Description: None Suspect Description (provided by reporting party): Age: 40 to 50 years old Eye Color: Brown Hair Color: Black buzzed hair Height: 5 foot 10 inches to 6 foot Race: Black Sex: Male Weight: 200 to 220 pounds Additional Description: Wearing a colorful shirt, black pants, red sweater wrapped around his waist, red Addidas shoes, and carrying a black suitcase Weapon: None Click the link(s) below to view images related to this alert: Image 1 If you are in immediate DANGER, call the Los Angeles Police Department at 911 or the USC Department of Public Safety at (213) 740-4321. Please note that race, ethnicity, gender and/or religious affiliation are NOT considered the basis for suspicion; only behaviors are considered suspicious. If you have any questions or information relevant to the crime(s) reflected in this alert, immediately call DPS at (213) 740-6000 for the University Park Campus (UPC), (323) 442-1000 for the Health Sciences Campus (HSC) or (213) 485-6571 for the LAPD Southwest Division. The Department of Public Safety (DPS) issues Crime Alerts to the university community, in compliance with the Clery Act, when a criminal incident occurs within USC’s Clery geography and represents either a serious or continuing threat to the safety of students, employees and others. The purpose of this warning is to aid in the prevention of similar crimes by alerting the community about the incident and to provide information which allows individuals to make informed decisions about their personal safety. USC Department of Public Safety Recommendations – Burglary - If you observe a crime in progress or discover your home has been burglarized, go to a safe location and call DPS emergency at (213) 740-4321 for UPC, (323) 442-1000 for HSC, or call 911 for LAPD. - Do not attempt to apprehend any suspects or perpetrators of crime. Your personal safety and the safety of others around you should be your primary concern. - Lock your doors and windows, especially when leaving your residence. - Be a good witness: It is important to recall what you observed and provide as many details as possible to law enforcement such as: the sex, race, age, height, hair color, clothing, tattoos, scars of any suspects and a description of the make and model of any vehicle used in the crime and its license plate if possible. For other options to contact DPS, report crime, and ask for help, please visit USC DPS Report a Crime. USC Transportation provides options to travel around USC including the Lyft Rides Program: - Get a Ride : Lyft is available at HSC and UPC to cover shared rides. Lyft at UPC is open from 7 p.m. to 2 a.m. seven days a week (*on home football game days, the program begins 5 hours after scheduled kickoff). Lyft at HSC is open from 5 p.m. to 2 a.m., Monday through Friday only. Please visit the USC Lyft page for more information. - Verify your driver and car: Once you have requested a Lyft ride, you can view the driver’s rating. When your ride arrives, make sure the driver’s photo, license plate number, and vehicle description match. Never take a ride you did not request or get into a car that doesn’t match the details provided by the Lyft app. - Go the extra mile: The Lyft app’s “share your ETA” function allows you to invite friends to see your trip in real-time. The app will draft a text message you can share with friends that includes your ETA and a link to a live map that allows them to track your trip. Too much effort? Call a friend and stay on the line while you’re in the car instead. To receive more information from USC DPS, please register for TrojansAlert: - TrojansAlert: Register for USC’s emergency notification system TrojansAlert t o allow university officials to contact you during an emergency by sending messages via text message and email. (Please note that students, staff and faculty automatically are signed up for TrojansAlerts. For additional USC Resources, please visit USC Report & Response.

  • Sourcepresent25/25

    Final assessment

    Department of Public Safety identifies the issuing authority.

    Who is sending the alert and who is responding. People act faster on a message from a clearly identifiable, credible sender, such as a named department, the police, or a branded alert system, than on an anonymous notice. A branded signature counts.

    See all 25 individual reads
    1. present: On this independent read I score S from Department of Public Safety
    2. present: This pass treats Department of Public Safety as the deciding S evidence
    3. present: My vote here hangs on Department of Public Safety for S
    4. present: I find Department of Public Safety sufficient for S in this pass
    5. present: Element S is present because the text has Department of Public Safety
    6. present: For S I rely on the words Department of Public Safety
    7. present: This burst carries Department of Public Safety, so S is present
    8. present: I code S from the phrase Department of Public Safety
    9. present: The deciding language for S is Department of Public Safety
    10. present: Pass-level judgment: Department of Public Safety meets S
    11. present: I read Department of Public Safety and therefore mark S present
    12. present: Nothing else needed: Department of Public Safety covers S
    13. present: Scoring S against Department of Public Safety in this burst
    14. present: The alert names Department of Public Safety, which satisfies S
    15. present: My S vote follows Department of Public Safety
    16. present: Present for S: Department of Public Safety
    17. present: I treat Department of Public Safety as the S marker
    18. present: This wording, Department of Public Safety, is my S basis
    19. present: From Department of Public Safety I conclude S is in the message
    20. present: Cue Department of Public Safety is enough for S here
    21. present: I separately score S using Department of Public Safety
    22. present: The text supplies Department of Public Safety for S
    23. present: S is 1 on this pass because of Department of Public Safety
    24. present: Looking only at this burst, Department of Public Safety is the S hit
    25. present: Independent of other elements, Department of Public Safety gives S
  • Hazardpresent25/25

    Final assessment

    Reported Offense Burglary names a specific crime.

    What the threat actually is. A complete warning names the specific danger, such as a shooter, a fire, a tornado, or a gas leak, rather than a vague emergency, because people decide what to do based on what they are facing.

    See all 25 individual reads
    1. present: On this independent read I score H from Burglary
    2. present: This pass treats Burglary as the deciding H evidence
    3. present: My vote here hangs on Burglary for H
    4. present: I find Burglary sufficient for H in this pass
    5. present: Element H is present because the text has Burglary
    6. present: For H I rely on the words Burglary
    7. present: This burst carries Burglary, so H is present
    8. present: I code H from the phrase Burglary
    9. present: The deciding language for H is Burglary
    10. present: Pass-level judgment: Burglary meets H
    11. present: I read Burglary and therefore mark H present
    12. present: Nothing else needed: Burglary covers H
    13. present: Scoring H against Burglary in this burst
    14. present: The alert names Burglary, which satisfies H
    15. present: My H vote follows Burglary
    16. present: Present for H: Burglary
    17. present: I treat Burglary as the H marker
    18. present: This wording, Burglary, is my H basis
    19. present: From Burglary I conclude H is in the message
    20. present: Cue Burglary is enough for H here
    21. present: I separately score H using Burglary
    22. present: The text supplies Burglary for H
    23. present: H is 1 on this pass because of Burglary
    24. present: Looking only at this burst, Burglary is the H hit
    25. present: Independent of other elements, Burglary gives H
  • Locationpresent25/25

    Final assessment

    International Themed Residential College is a named campus place.

    Where the threat is. Saying whether danger is in a specific building, a part of campus, or area-wide lets people judge their own proximity and choose a safe direction. Without a where, a warning is hard to act on precisely.

    See all 25 individual reads
    1. present: On this independent read I score L from International Themed Residential College
    2. present: This pass treats International Themed Residential College as the deciding L evidence
    3. present: My vote here hangs on International Themed Residential College for L
    4. present: I find International Themed Residential College sufficient for L in this pass
    5. present: Element L is present because the text has International Themed Residential College
    6. present: For L I rely on the words International Themed Residential College
    7. present: This burst carries International Themed Residential College, so L is present
    8. present: I code L from the phrase International Themed Residential College
    9. present: The deciding language for L is International Themed Residential College
    10. present: Pass-level judgment: International Themed Residential College meets L
    11. present: I read International Themed Residential College and therefore mark L present
    12. present: Nothing else needed: International Themed Residential College covers L
    13. present: Scoring L against International Themed Residential College in this burst
    14. present: The alert names International Themed Residential College, which satisfies L
    15. present: My L vote follows International Themed Residential College
    16. present: Present for L: International Themed Residential College
    17. present: I treat International Themed Residential College as the L marker
    18. present: This wording, International Themed Residential College, is my L basis
    19. present: From International Themed Residential College I conclude L is in the message
    20. present: Cue International Themed Residential College is enough for L here
    21. present: I separately score L using International Themed Residential College
    22. present: The text supplies International Themed Residential College for L
    23. present: L is 1 on this pass because of International Themed Residential College
    24. present: Looking only at this burst, International Themed Residential College is the L hit
    25. present: Independent of other elements, International Themed Residential College gives L
  • Guidancepresent25/25

    Final assessment

    Call DPS or 911 and lock doors are recipient instructions.

    The protective action to take. A clear, specific instruction, such as shelter in place, evacuate, avoid the area, or run-hide-fight, drives faster and more correct protective behavior than describing the threat alone.

    See all 25 individual reads
    1. present: On this independent read I score G from call DPS or 911 and lock doors and windows
    2. present: This pass treats call DPS or 911 and lock doors and windows as the deciding G evidence
    3. present: My vote here hangs on call DPS or 911 and lock doors and windows for G
    4. present: I find call DPS or 911 and lock doors and windows sufficient for G in this pass
    5. present: Element G is present because the text has call DPS or 911 and lock doors and windows
    6. present: For G I rely on the words call DPS or 911 and lock doors and windows
    7. present: This burst carries call DPS or 911 and lock doors and windows, so G is present
    8. present: I code G from the phrase call DPS or 911 and lock doors and windows
    9. present: The deciding language for G is call DPS or 911 and lock doors and windows
    10. present: Pass-level judgment: call DPS or 911 and lock doors and windows meets G
    11. present: I read call DPS or 911 and lock doors and windows and therefore mark G present
    12. present: Nothing else needed: call DPS or 911 and lock doors and windows covers G
    13. present: Scoring G against call DPS or 911 and lock doors and windows in this burst
    14. present: The alert names call DPS or 911 and lock doors and windows, which satisfies G
    15. present: My G vote follows call DPS or 911 and lock doors and windows
    16. present: Present for G: call DPS or 911 and lock doors and windows
    17. present: I treat call DPS or 911 and lock doors and windows as the G marker
    18. present: This wording, call DPS or 911 and lock doors and windows, is my G basis
    19. present: From call DPS or 911 and lock doors and windows I conclude G is in the message
    20. present: Cue call DPS or 911 and lock doors and windows is enough for G here
    21. present: I separately score G using call DPS or 911 and lock doors and windows
    22. present: The text supplies call DPS or 911 and lock doors and windows for G
    23. present: G is 1 on this pass because of call DPS or 911 and lock doors and windows
    24. present: Looking only at this burst, call DPS or 911 and lock doors and windows is the G hit
    25. present: Independent of other elements, call DPS or 911 and lock doors and windows gives G
  • Timepresent25/25

    Final assessment

    08/24/2026 12:40 a.m. is a clock time.

    When the message applies. A timestamp, the word now or immediately, or a phrase like until further notice tells the reader whether the danger is current and how quickly to act.

    See all 25 individual reads
    1. present: On this independent read I score T from 08/24/2026 12:40 a.m.
    2. present: This pass treats 08/24/2026 12:40 a.m. as the deciding T evidence
    3. present: My vote here hangs on 08/24/2026 12:40 a.m. for T
    4. present: I find 08/24/2026 12:40 a.m. sufficient for T in this pass
    5. present: Element T is present because the text has 08/24/2026 12:40 a.m.
    6. present: For T I rely on the words 08/24/2026 12:40 a.m.
    7. present: This burst carries 08/24/2026 12:40 a.m., so T is present
    8. present: I code T from the phrase 08/24/2026 12:40 a.m.
    9. present: The deciding language for T is 08/24/2026 12:40 a.m.
    10. present: Pass-level judgment: 08/24/2026 12:40 a.m. meets T
    11. present: I read 08/24/2026 12:40 a.m. and therefore mark T present
    12. present: Nothing else needed: 08/24/2026 12:40 a.m. covers T
    13. present: Scoring T against 08/24/2026 12:40 a.m. in this burst
    14. present: The alert names 08/24/2026 12:40 a.m., which satisfies T
    15. present: My T vote follows 08/24/2026 12:40 a.m.
    16. present: Present for T: 08/24/2026 12:40 a.m.
    17. present: I treat 08/24/2026 12:40 a.m. as the T marker
    18. present: This wording, 08/24/2026 12:40 a.m., is my T basis
    19. present: From 08/24/2026 12:40 a.m. I conclude T is in the message
    20. present: Cue 08/24/2026 12:40 a.m. is enough for T here
    21. present: I separately score T using 08/24/2026 12:40 a.m.
    22. present: The text supplies 08/24/2026 12:40 a.m. for T
    23. present: T is 1 on this pass because of 08/24/2026 12:40 a.m.
    24. present: Looking only at this burst, 08/24/2026 12:40 a.m. is the T hit
    25. present: Independent of other elements, 08/24/2026 12:40 a.m. gives T
  • Impactpresent25/25

    Final assessment

    serious or continuing threat plus immediate DANGER state severity.

    What the hazard could do to the people in its path. Beyond naming the threat, a complete warning conveys its potential consequences or severity, such as that a tornado can level buildings or that a leak could be explosive, so recipients grasp how much danger they are in. Research on warning message content finds that a concrete impact statement helps people personalize their risk and act sooner.

    See all 25 individual reads
    1. present: On this independent read I score I from serious or continuing threat and immediate DANGER
    2. present: This pass treats serious or continuing threat and immediate DANGER as the deciding I evidence
    3. present: My vote here hangs on serious or continuing threat and immediate DANGER for I
    4. present: I find serious or continuing threat and immediate DANGER sufficient for I in this pass
    5. present: Element I is present because the text has serious or continuing threat and immediate DANGER
    6. present: For I I rely on the words serious or continuing threat and immediate DANGER
    7. present: This burst carries serious or continuing threat and immediate DANGER, so I is present
    8. present: I code I from the phrase serious or continuing threat and immediate DANGER
    9. present: The deciding language for I is serious or continuing threat and immediate DANGER
    10. present: Pass-level judgment: serious or continuing threat and immediate DANGER meets I
    11. present: I read serious or continuing threat and immediate DANGER and therefore mark I present
    12. present: Nothing else needed: serious or continuing threat and immediate DANGER covers I
    13. present: Scoring I against serious or continuing threat and immediate DANGER in this burst
    14. present: The alert names serious or continuing threat and immediate DANGER, which satisfies I
    15. present: My I vote follows serious or continuing threat and immediate DANGER
    16. present: Present for I: serious or continuing threat and immediate DANGER
    17. present: I treat serious or continuing threat and immediate DANGER as the I marker
    18. present: This wording, serious or continuing threat and immediate DANGER, is my I basis
    19. present: From serious or continuing threat and immediate DANGER I conclude I is in the message
    20. present: Cue serious or continuing threat and immediate DANGER is enough for I here
    21. present: I separately score I using serious or continuing threat and immediate DANGER
    22. present: The text supplies serious or continuing threat and immediate DANGER for I
    23. present: I is 1 on this pass because of serious or continuing threat and immediate DANGER
    24. present: Looking only at this burst, serious or continuing threat and immediate DANGER is the I hit
    25. present: Independent of other elements, serious or continuing threat and immediate DANGER gives I

Coded by SuperGrok Heavy 4.5

Systematic AI judgments with visible reasoning, not human-validated codings.

About this analysis
Context

Background

Official USC Department of Public Safety crime alert archive at dps.usc.edu.
Analysis

Key Findings

Complete official DPS crime alert text recovered.
Outcome
See official DPS crime alert for investigation status and safety guidance. Photos not transcribed. Official Addidas spelling preserved where present.
Provenance

Sources

Every claim on this page is meant to be checkable. Open the links below (and the Verify this quote control under each confirmed alert) to read the original university, news, or archive page yourself. Hostnames are shown so you can see where you are going; archived copies survive when live pages move or disappear. See also our methodology.

  1. Official
    Employee-area burglary at International Themed Residential College
    dps.usc.edu
    archived copy
Cite this case

Campus Alert Archive. "University of Southern California: Employee-area burglary at International Themed Residential College." Incident of August 24, 2026. Added August 2026. https://campusalertarchive.com/case/university-of-southern-california-itrc-employee-area-burglary-2026-08-24/

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Alert text quoted on this page remains the work of the issuing institution; the archive is a secondary source.

Tags
usc2026burglarydpscleryUnder Investigation
Added August 2026Updated August 2026Via ingestion