A series of recent break-ins and break-in attempts in Boston's Brighton neighborhood, near Boston College, prompted an advisory from police on Wednesday. A group of students who live there said a would-be intruder came to their home three times in a month.
Olivia Gandolfo, a junior at Boston College, was lying in bed after midnight Monday when she got a Ring camera alert on her phone.
"I clicked on it and I saw him again coming up the back steps," Gandolfo said. "I was terrified for my life, so I ran into my roommate's room and I showed her the footage. She was like, 'Oh my God.' And called 911 immediately."
This scary saga started on Feb. 5, when someone got into one of their cars parked in the driveway off of Greycliff Road around 4 o'clock in the morning.
Get Boston local news, weather forecasts, lifestyle and entertainment stories to your inbox. Sign up for NBC Boston’s newsletters.
"We all just kind of, in the top unit, huddled in one room, and in the bottom unit I think they were all together just waiting for the police to come, but terrified," Gandolfo said.
Another incident happened on the 15th, a little after 8 p.m. -- only this time, all eight girls who live there were home as someone came around the side of the house, up the back steps, peering through the bathroom window.
"Liv was just like shaking and she was terrified," Boston College junior Danielle Minnetian said. "Everybody was told to stay in place. Police told us we couldn't come out until we got there, so it was just very scary, but we tried to just keep each other calm."
Things escalated early Monday morning, when someone, seen on surveillance video, crept up and jiggled the door handle. The girls have added safety precautions, including multiple Ring cameras, motion-activated flood lights and motion-detecting alarms.
"It's just terrifying to know that someone's trying to get into our home," Gandolfo said. "He makes eye contact with the cameras during his attempted break-ins, which is terrifying because he's not deterred by anything that we've been doing."
Boston College said in a statement that both campus and Boston police are increasing patrols. They urged people in the area to lock their doors and report any suspicious activity.
In their warning, Boston police urged all residents to remain vigilant and take proactive measures to protect their property, including making sure that all doors and windows are securely locked at all times. They even suggested installing additional security measures like motion-sensor lights, alarm systems and cameras.
"We are deeply concerned about these incidents and are working diligently to address the situation," the department said in a statement.
They said anyone who sees any suspicious activity or individuals in their neighborhood should call 911 immediately, which will help police respond quickly and prevent further incidents.
Police released images Wednesday of a person of interest from at least two incidents, but they aren't sure if the same person is involved in all of the reported break-ins.
Anyone with information about the break-ins is asked to call detectives at 617-343-4256. Anonymous tips can be submitted by calling in to the CrimeStoppers Tip Line at 1-800-494-TIPS or by texting the word "TIP" to 27463.
