Unarmed robberies remind residents to lock their doors

East Lansing residents may take safety precautions more seriously after a series of unarmed home robberies occurred Sunday in a one-hour span between 11 p.m. and midnight.

The four robberies could possibly be related, involving what the East Lansing police believe to be four male suspects in their early 20s.

East Lansing police Chief Tom Wibert said he thinks the incidents are not linked to the large number of people in the area for the East Lansing Arts Festival because they occurred late at night.

“There were less people around,” Wibert said. “Overall East Lansing is a safe community and something like this is relatively rare.”

Two of the robberies took place on the 1200 block of Grand River Avenue while the other two were on the 1100 block of Victor Street and the 500 block of Albert Avenue, Wibert said.

No weapons were seen during any of the incidents, where the suspects approached each victim and demanded money, Wibert said.

The suspects fled on foot and were last seen leaving in a black four-door vehicle, possibly a Ford Contour, with a gold stripe down the side, Wibert said. The car had been parked in a lot on Grand River Avenue earlier that night.

Laura Goss, a special education senior, said she was victim to a robbery during her first year at MSU and the incident taught her to be more cautious.

“The house was unlocked,” Goss said. “Now we always lock it.”

She said Sunday’s break-ins did not come as a surprise to her.

“It doesn’t really surprise me because it has happened to so many people I know,” Goss said. “But it’s scary.”

According to one victim’s statement, one of Sunday’s suspects was wearing a white tank top and gray sweatpants, and another suspect was wearing light-colored jeans, white tennis shoes with black detail and a white T-shirt with a black down-type winter jacket, Wibert said.

East Lansing police Lt. Kevin Daley said the East Lansing Police Department intend to locate and fully prosecute all individuals involved.

Although this kind of crime is not common, Daley recommends taking precaution.

“It’s such a safe area, but be aware of your surroundings,” Daley said. “If you’re suspicious, call us.”

The most frightening aspect of these incidents is the intentions of the robbers, said environmental economics and policy junior Jacqueline Saunders.

“You don’t know the kind of people who are breaking in and what they would do if you interfered with their intentions,” Saunders said. “There’s only so much you can do.”

The ELPD is still investigating the robberies and hope more tips will be submitted.

Because all four robberies occurred in a very short period of time, East Lansing police Capt. Tom Johnstone said it is likely there were several witnesses.

“Certainly if they were bold enough to commit four robberies in a very short time period, there were probably a number of people that saw them,” Johnstone said.

“Any information that can be passed on could help us out.”

Published on Monday, May 19, 2008