{ "id": "2026-09-25-case-western-reserve-university-clarke-tower-burglary", "slug": "case-western-reserve-university-clarke-tower-burglary-2026-09-25", "institution": { "name": "Case Western Reserve University", "shortName": "CWRU", "state": "OH", "type": "private-r1", "enrollment": 10000 }, "incident": { "date": "2026-09-25", "type": "burglary", "cleryCategory": "timely-warning", "resolution": "under-investigation", "headline": "A suspect takes scooters from two residence-hall bike rooms", "headlinePublic": "A suspect takes scooters from two residence-hall bike rooms", "summary": "A security alert says a person entered Clarke Tower and Triangle Tower 2 and took electric scooters from the bike rooms. The bulletin is the [Sept. 25 security alert](https://case.edu/publicsafety/node/1216).", "outcome": "The alert says the investigation is open and asks anyone with information to call police." }, "alerts": [ { "sequence": 1, "type": "initial", "timestampApprox": "The bulletin says the incident was between 1:10 and 2:40 a.m. on Sept. 25, 2026, and it gives no timezone.", "channel": "website", "verbatimText": "Case Western Reserve University Division of Public Safety\n\nCrime: Burglary\n\nLocation of incident: Clarke Tower and Triangle Tower 2\n\nDate of Incident: Sept. 25, 2026\n\nTime of Incident: Between 1:10 and 2:40 a.m.\n\nIncident Description: A suspect, pretending to be making deliveries, entered Clarke Tower and Triangle Tower 2 after piggybacking off residents to enter each building. The suspect then stole electric scooters and possibly bikes, which were either unlocked or using a cable lock, from each building’s bike room.\n\nSuspect(s) Description: Video footage shows the suspect is a Black man wearing a red jacket with Mickey Mouse on the back, a black bucket hat featuring a Browns helmet, gray pants (possibly camouflage pattern), white tennis shoes, and a cream backpack with a sun on it. (Suspect photos below.)\n\nsuspect-clarke-triangle-3\nsuspect-clarke-triangle\nsuspect-clarke-triangle-2\n\nAdditional information: As noted in the safety advisory on Friday, CWRU Police have seen an increase in bicycle and electric scooter theft, both inside and outside buildings. Tips to prevent these thefts, as well as how to prevent burglaries from inside buildings, are included below. But as a reminder, any student, faculty or staff member who registers their bikes with CWRU Police can get a free U-Lock, which is more secure than a cable lock.\n\nTime Reported: Thefts were reported Sept. 25 but, through investigation, they were determined to be burglaries.\n\nInitiated: Sept. 26, 2026\n\nInformation Provided By: Case Western Reserve University Police Department\n\nSafety tips:\nSurvivors of crime are never at fault for their victimization. It is the perpetrators of these crimes who are responsible for their actions that make our campus less safe. However, there are a few tips that may help prevent future crimes.\n\nDo not prop interior or exterior doors at any time, hold an outside door open for strangers, or allow strangers to tailgate on your access card. If someone has followed you into an access controlled building, don’t confront them yourself. Find a safe spot and contact CWRU police.\nKeep doors locked at all times, even when in the room or when going down the hall.\nClose all windows when leaving the room, even for short periods of time. Keep valuables out of sight.\nTrust your gut feelings and avoid persons and situations that make you feel uncomfortable.\nSecure your bicycle using a U-Lock. Cable locks can be cut easier than you think. A good-quality U-Lock is often unbreakable or requires a lot of time and effort to break. (Any student, faculty or staff member who registers their bikes with CWRU Police can get a free U-Lock.)\nSecure your frame and wheels. U-Locks can also be used to secure both your bicycle frame and wheels. If you cannot secure your wheels using a U-Lock, consider using a secondary cable.\nAlways secure your bike to a bike rack. Other objects may be easier to manipulate to free your bicycle.\nAlways lock up your bicycle. This includes when using residence hall bike rooms or other secured areas. A secured room does not eliminate the risk of theft.\nRegister your bike with Case Western Reserve University Division of Public Safety. By registering your bicycle, it makes stolen bicycles harder to sell and easier to recover. Individuals also can register with their local police department.\nKeep a photograph and serial number for your bicycle. This includes the registration number, if registered with CWRU or your local police. This information will come in handy when reporting a stolen bicycle.\nSee something, say something. Report any suspicious behavior to CWRU police in the Spartan Safe app or by calling 216.368.3300.\nIf you feel threatened or uncomfortable in regards to your safety, call CWRU police at 216.368.3333. If a situation is making you nervous, don't be afraid to alter your route, duck into a store or call for help.\n\nCase Western Reserve University is committed to providing a safe environment for all members of the community. We strongly encourage individuals to regularly check case.edu/publicsafety/safety-programs to see what safety tips and services we provide.\n\nIf you have any information on this crime, please call 216.368.3333 as soon as possible. If you would like to leave an anonymous tip, please call 216.368.3331.\n\nCase Western Reserve University Division of Public Safety releases security alerts, in compliance with the federal Clery Act, when a Clery-reportable crime is committed and the university determines there is an ongoing threat on campus to the health or safety of students or employees.", "isVerbatimConfirmed": true, "confidence": "high", "sourceUrl": "https://case.edu/publicsafety/node/1216", "sourceDescription": "CWRU Division of Public Safety security alert", "annotations": [ "The body dates the incident Sept. 25, 2026, and says the alert was initiated Sept. 26, 2026.", "Distinct incident from 2003-05-09-case-western-reserve-university-shooting.", "Dual independent fetch 2026-10-04. sha256 0c655ed8a705d992d3f105dbaa5f9f83b4131da39cf92e97731667018b11279b. Both reads took this body from the official security alert." ], "characterCount": 4581 } ], "context": "Division of Public Safety said a person followed residents into Clarke Tower and Triangle Tower 2 and took scooters from the bike rooms.", "keyFindings": [ "A security alert reports a burglary in two residence-hall bike rooms, and the investigation remains open." ], "sources": [ { "title": "Security alert", "url": "https://case.edu/publicsafety/node/1216", "type": "official-archive", "accessDate": "2026-10-04", "archiveUrl": null, "archiveNotes": "SPN not attempted after one in-flight save at 17:22Z" } ], "confidence": "high", "tags": [ "private-r1", "ohio", "burglary" ], "dateAdded": "2026-10-04", "lastUpdated": "2026-10-04", "addedBy": "ingestion" }