The Ames Police Department has a suspect in a slew of burglaries that took place during the weekend. 

Burglars walked into unlocked apartments and stole possessions, including cellphones and gaming consoles, during five different burglaries.

“It’s a crime of opportunity,” said Jason Tuttle, investigations commander for the Ames Police Department.

He said it is not uncommon to see students be the victims of burglary because many do not always lock their doors and commonly have laptops and game consoles out in the open.

“I think some of our criminals know our students are easy targets,” Tuttle said.

Victims of the burglary that occurred on Marigold Drive told police three men entered the apartment. They said one was a black male adult and they don’t think he spoke English.

Tuttle said another victim, who lives on Todd Drive, told police there were five suspects that left the apartment in a white van.

“We do have a suspect,” Tuttle said.

With the help of a tip from the suspect’s friend, Ames Police was able to recover some property from the suspect’s residence, Tuttle said. The department hopes to have enough evidence to file an arrest later this week.

Students can remove the burglary target by locking doors, closing curtains and keeping valuables out of sight.

If items are stolen, Tuttle said it is helpful when owners know the serial number of their devices because that knowledge allows the police to easily identify stolen electronics.

Tuttle said since with holiday breaks arriving Ames Police anticipates more burglaries because students will be leaving their apartments. 

If a burglar has entered your house, call 911 and try to get a good visual description of the burglar.

“We prefer there not to be a confrontation,” Tuttle said.