News, Off Campus, Featured Story

Lake St. House Robbed at Gunpoint

On Aug. 25, BCPD alerted the Boston College community that a house on Lake Street had been robbed at gunpoint. The suspects were described as four black men, three of them wearing masks and one a baseball hat. They are believed to have left the scene in a dark-colored Ford Crown Victoria with tinted windows.

The invaders didn’t harm the tenants, who were not BC students, but they did take many valuables, including credit cards that they tried to use at a nearby ATM.

Between Dec. 15 and March 17, there were 27 reported break-ins at off-campus houses. In many of the instances, intruders entered through a window or unlocked door and stole valuables such as laptops.

These break-ins left students scared to be home alone and frustrated with the lack of support from Residential Life, several off-campus residents said last spring.

The Boston Police Department, which is in charge of the Brighton neighborhood where most off-campus houses are located, encouraged students to lock their doors and windows and remove air-conditioning units from windows.

This summer, several more break-ins occurred at off-campus houses in Brighton, including at 249 Foster St., 17 Gerald Rd., and 299 Foster St., according to members of the off-campus community. BCP was unable to confirm these break-ins.

BPD’s advice after the most recent break-in on Lake Street is consistent with advice given last spring.

“BC Police would like to remind you of the importance of ensuring that your doors and windows are kept secure at all times, and to report suspicious behavior and/or activity,” the bulletin said.

Featured Image by Julia Hopkins / Heights Editor

September 1, 2016