Four Boston College students accidentally locked an unidentified intruder in the basement of their Kirkwood Rd. house on the night of Sept. 3. In response to the incident, BC Police Department Chief Bill Evans advised students new to off-campus living to be careful with home security, especially early in the semester.
The residents—who asked to remain anonymous—believe the intruder was stuck in their basement for upward of four hours.
At about 4:30 p.m. that day, one of the residents returned home from classes and noticed that the front door had been unlocked and the basement door was left ajar. The resident then closed and locked the basement door from the outside.
The residents rarely enter the basement—it contains only cleaning supplies and laundry machines, they said. Over the next several hours, two residents went down to the basement for brief periods of time to do laundry.
At about 9:00 p.m., three of the residents were in the house. One resident, whose first-floor bedroom is adjacent to the basement stairwell, heard footsteps run up the basement stairs and the sound of the back door flying open.
The residents, upon speaking with each other, realized that none of them had been in the basement at the time. All four residents immediately left the house and began to drive around the block.
They first called BCPD, who told them to call the Boston Police Department, according to the residents. BPD officers arrived at the scene and examined the house and its exterior.
The residents said that the intruder likely hid in the basment closet containing the house’s heating system.
In the days that followed, the residents replaced their locks and installed deadbolts, chains, and a security alarm system.
Evans recommended that students take care to lock their doors before departing for classes.
“Get to know your neighbors so they can report suspicious persons in and around your home,” Evans said. “Also, your landlord is responsible for making sure all locks work properly and your residence is a safe environment to live.”
He also suggested that people should either secure or remove air-conditioning units, as intruders can easily push them through the window to gain entry.
Featured Image by Taylor Perison / For the Heights
