A series of unsettling events culminated with the arrest of a man accused of breaking into a home rented by twelve USC students in University Park. The suspect, who had been observed lingering around the property on previous occasions, managed to enter the residence on the 2700 block of Menlo Avenue, close to the university campus, as reported by KTLA.
Rattled residents recounted their encounter with the man, who had allegedly been peering into their home and was caught on camera. The Los Angeles Police Department informed ABC7 that the home invasion occurred early in the morning and resulted in the temporary detainment of the man, "We ran into the other room, locked ourselves in there, and I still didn't know what was going on, but my roommate said, 'No. He's back. He's here. He's inside,'" USC student Sophia Ignon recounted the harrowing moment.
Confronting the intruder in their space left the students shaken, USC senior Molly Boland conveyed her fears to KTLA, saying, "It’s twelve girls and I living in there, so it’s become really scary and an issue." Boland had expressed frustration over the perceived inaction by USC's Department of Public Safety in prior instances.
Meanwhile, another report established that the same man might have attempted another break-in nearby. NBC Los Angeles detailed a similar incident on Menlo Avenue, where two women discovered a man had broken into their apartment through the kitchen.
Public Safety Chief Loretta Hill urged the public to utilize the Live Safe app for better security communication, according to a statement obtained by FOX LA, "We always encourage our students to download the Live Safe app so they're able to communicate directly with our dispatch. If they see something, and they want to report it or to tag us with pictures," she advised the apprehension of the suspect was timely as campus police nabbed him after a diligent patrol in the area.
