Intruder returns to Rees Hall
On Tuesday, Sept. 6 at 11:15 a.m., an intruder entered Rees Hall through the southeast corner door. She spent nine minutes in the building before Associate Dean of Women Emily Patterson discovered her in the Four West hallway. This is not the first time this woman has gained access to the building; she is known to have spent considerable amounts of time in Rees Hall last spring.
The intruder was an African-American female wearing scrubs with a UNL shirt and carrying a small satchel. Unlike last spring, she was unmasked. The woman waited on the bench by the southeast door for a large group of residents to enter. She followed them into the building, catching the door right before it closed.
Patterson was making a routine round of the building when she met the intruder in the Four West Hall community. She asked the woman what her purpose was in Rees Hall. The woman claimed that she was here to visit a certain resident. Patterson explained that not only was no resident by that name living in the building currently, but also no resident by that name lived in the building in the past. The intruder asked Patterson to identify herself, to which Patterson replied she was one of the deans responsible for the building. As the conversation continued, Patterson recognized the woman from camera footage taken last spring. The woman said she would call the person she was looking for and proceeded to make a phone call to an unknown individual. Patterson then escorted her out of the dorm.
Campus Safety was called at 11:24 a.m. They followed the woman off of campus in their golf cart to ensure that she truly left. Unlike last spring, the intruder did not enter any other building on campus. There have been no reports of missing items in Rees Hall, although this woman is known to have entered resident rooms left unlocked in the past.
“We as a residential life team work hard to make sure our dorm is safe,” said Dean of Students Stacy Stocks. “We have an open file with the Lincoln Police Department about the situation with this woman. All exterior doors are kept locked, and desk workers screen the people they let into the building. But residents in all dorms need to be mindful about who they are letting into the building. Don’t be afraid to ask strangers who they are. Also, I strongly encourage residents to keep their internal doors locked. We know that this stranger checks dorm room doors. Keeping your door locked is the best way to keep your things safe.”
If you meet someone in a residential hall who shouldn’t be there, contact your dean or report the incident to Campus Safety at 402-486-2911.
Read our report on last spring’s incident here: https://clocktower.ucollege.edu/articles/2022/the-camera-dilemma
By Annika Cambigue