Before his head hit the pillow Friday, freshman Darby Bybeeturned on some classical music to help him fall asleep.
When his laptop was stolen, he didn't wake up.
"Someone just walked in in the middle of the night and took mycomputer," Bybee said. "I was just two feet away."
Like Bybee, freshman Andrew Carson didn't lock his door. Within30 minutes, the two Edwards Hall residents reported their laptopsstolen.
The frequency of residence-hall burglaries has recentlyincreased, Ball State assistant police chief Robert Fey said. Insome cases, victims' doors were not locked.
"When we see a repeat in a category of offense within arelatively short amount of time, it's cause for concern," Feysaid.
Fey said he was unable to release the numbers because some ofthe cases are under investigation. He said, however, fourburglaries had occurred within the last two weeks. Carson andBybee's losses Friday totaled over $2,000.
As Carson slept, his laptop, CD-alarm clock, wallet and cellphone were taken. He canceled the service on his phone and creditcards, but he said that losing his computer hurt the most.
"I really used my computer a lot," Carson said. "Notes, stufffor my classes, that was all on my laptop. That kind of put mebehind. Now I have to catch up."
Between Oct. 24 and 25, freshman Todd Surber's Playstation wasstolen. He left the console in Whitcraft Hall's study lounge, wherehis friend Nate Ricketts lived.
The room had two doors, and one was not locked.
"(The resident assistant) had to use a master key to lock it,"Surber said.
The door was locked for over a month but somehow becameunlocked, Ricketts said.
"I'm just kind of curious about how the door got unlocked," hesaid.
After Surber filed a police report for his Playstation, Rickettsnoticed that his Aiwa stereo was gone. He had not filed a report asof press time.
All of the investigations are still ongoing. Fey said thatanyone with information on the burglaries may call the UniversityPolice Department at 285-1111.
Bybee, however, said that he doesn't plan on seeing his computeragain.
"They'll never find it," Bybee said. "I'm pretty sure it's goneforever."
He said he hopes to replace it by Christmas but doesn't know ifhis parents can afford to, he said.
"More than anything else, I've replayed what happened that nightthinking about what I could've done differently," Bybee said. "Ishould've locked my door, but I trusted people. I guess youshouldn't trust people."
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