Public Safety Alert: Theft Reported in O’Shaughnessy-Frey Library

Public Safety would like to alert the University of St. Thomas community of a theft in O’Shaughnessy-Frey Library.

On Thursday, Dec. 20, at 10:40 a.m., a UST student reported an unidentified suspect attempted to steal his unattended laptop. The student reported he stepped away from his computer in a second floor study area and returned a few moments later and found the suspect closing his laptop. The suspect saw the student and fled on foot.

Public Safety responded and officers began searching the library. While searching for the suspect, officers were approached by a second student who reported his unattended laptop was stolen. The student was studying at a desk on the third floor in the northeast corner of the library. At approximately 10:35 a.m., the student got up to take a call and stepped into the stairwell. The student returned to the desk ten minutes later and his laptop was gone.

The suspect in the attempted theft was described as a black male, college aged, no facial hair, wearing a gray zip-up sweatshirt, a black flat-brimmed cap and possibly a backpack. The suspect was also observed in the area of Coffee Bene on the first floor in the time frame of the incidents. He may have possibly put on a red leather coat before leaving the area.

Officers searched the library and surrounding areas. The suspect could not be located. It is not known if the suspect is responsible for the theft of the second student’s laptop. There have now been four laptop theft related incidents in the library in the past five days.

The University of St. Thomas believes that descriptors alone are not a valid reason to profile or cast suspicion on any individual. They are included here because they may reasonably assist in identifying the perpetrator of this incident.

Anyone with information regarding these crimes is urged to call Public Safety at (651) 962-5100 or the St. Paul Police Department at (651) 291-1111.

For more information, see Public Safety’s Dec. 20 alert. Other recent alerts, advisories and bulletins, as well as crime prevention and safety tips, also are posted on the St. Thomas Public Safety website.