The Baton Rouge Police Department is looking for more information about an unidentified man who is breaking into women’s apartments in the University area.
BRPD Cpl. Don Kelly said the department has received several reports in the last week from women living in apartments at University House on Brightside and University Commons.
Kelly said in almost every case, the man has entered apartments through unlocked doors or windows when the women have been asleep.
When confronted, the man, who only has identified himself as “Steve” each time, has been apologetic and claimed to be confused about his location.
“He has not tried to rape or harm anyone, but that does not mean he is not working himself up to that,” Kelly said.
Some women who have reported incidents have said a few small items are missing from their apartments, but nothing significant has been stolen.
The man reportedly entered eight different apartments within a three and a half hour period early Sunday morning at University House.
Kelly said a security guard at University House saw a man Wednesday peeking through an apartment window at 3 a.m. The guard detained the man to question him and knocked on the door of the apartment.
After the resident said she previously had seen the same man in her apartment, he escaped and ran from the security guard. Neither BRPD nor the security guard was able to catch the man.
Kelly said witnesses in each case described the man as white with brown hair and in his late teens or about 20 years of age. He is about 5 feet 8 inches tall, medium build and between 155 and 165 pounds.
“The primary purpose for releasing this information is because it’s scary and somewhat amazing how many young women are leaving their doors unlocked because we just went through this with the serial killer,” Kelly said.
Kelly advised women to make sure their doors and windows are locked because the man is searching for opportunities to easily enter women’s apartments.
BRPD is working on a sketch of the man and periodically stopping cars to question people in the area of the reported break-ins.
Kelly advised anyone who has recently had a similar experience and not reported it to call BRPD at 389-3824, East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office at 389-5000 or LSUPD at 578-3231.
– News Editor Samantha Sieber contributed to this story.