Series of Ann Arbor break-ins around U-M campus have students on alert

ANN ARBOR, Mich. (FOX 2) - No internet for days - and a burglar breaking into apartments near campus. It's been a stressful start to the school year at the University of Michigan.

"It’s just kind of overwhelming," said Chloe Erickson. "We just moved in and now we have to worry about this."

Erickson is one of many U-M students finding themselves a bit shaken by a rash of home burglaries across Ann Arbor. Most of which seem to have taken place in student rentals near downtown.

Police told FOX 2 that in most cases the crook is getting in through unlocked first-floor windows, using a knife to slice into the window screen.

Investigators say they took reports of six incidents in the past two days, including on the 500, 600, and 800 blocks of Catherine Street.

Also, on the 1000 block of Prospect and 700 block of Dewey Avenue.

"I had no idea," she said. "This is the first time I’m hearing of it. I live right across the street."

On the 100 block of State Street, cops say a woman confronted the bad guy in a bedroom at night. She was not hurt.

The suspected thief got away with an iPhone, Bluetooth speaker and some cash. He fled through the front door, according to detectives.

"I think just like heightened security in student housing, especially cause we’re renting. We don’t have the opportunity to provide that for ourselves," Erickson said. "I know that one of my other rental companies suggested installing Ring doorbells and stuff like that could be an option.

"These are old houses. They have old systems so, I see why they would get targeted."

The normally fun-filled first week of classes in a college town is extra stressful this time around.

"We just got back from school, or back to school and I don’t know," said Lars Martin. "It’s kind of crazy that it’s happening on Catherine Street. I had no idea."

Police say they have identified a person of interest in the case.