SECURITY OFFICERS caught a thief who attempted to steal a student’s laptop in the Schmitt building last Monday.

A female officer stationed at the building saw the suspect enter Schmitt at around 3:00 PM.

The suspect was seen to have taken the laptop of a student on the second floor. The officer radioed for back-up and tailed the suspect to the tricycle station near the Gonzaga Hall drop-off.

Several security officers apprehended the suspect as he rode a tricycle. The suspect was detained at the security office in Kostka.

The suspect said that he walked around campus to observe the behavior of the students and the position of the guards. He added that he roamed around Horacio de la Costa Hall and Faura Hall, and even had lunch in Gonzaga Hall, before going to the Schmitt building.

The suspect claimed that it was his first theft attempt in the Ateneo, but his knowledge of security routines on campus seemed to tell otherwise.

He identified security flaws in specific buildings on campus. He even shared that it is easy to enter the Ateneo via tricycle or taxi during rush hour, when the guards don’t individually inspect vehicles due to the volume of students entering the campus.

The suspect neither confirmed nor denied being part of any criminal group. However, he offered and insisted to join campus security to help catch other thieves.

After interrogating the suspect, security officers brought him to the ninth precinct of the Philippine National Police. The Ateneo will file a case against the suspect.

Megaforce, the university’s hired security agency, reminded students to remain vigilant with their personal belongings.