On Wednesday at 1:40 a.m., a student reported three people attempting to enter multiple vehicles in the east parking lot of Brunswick Apartments. The group arrived in a stolen vehicle that was left on Longfellow Avenue and fled by foot when Bowdoin security officers and the Brunswick Police Department arrived.

Associate Vice President of the Office of Safety and Security Randy Nichols said that the investigation is still ongoing with multiple police departments involved. The suspects, who are still at large, appear to be three juveniles from the Central Maine area.

“A very alert student happened to observe these three scoping out several vehicles in the lot, pulling on door handles, trying to enter vehicles, probably looking for a vehicle with the keys left in it,” Nichols said. “Security responded and also called the Brunswick Police. Security and the police arrived and the three fled on foot….  It involved a number of vehicles, including a vehicle that was stolen from Brunswick.”

Nichols praised the student who reported the car theft attempt and encouraged students to be alert.

“There is no doubt in my mind that the student may have prevented a theft because she immediately called Security,” Nichols said. “We really appreciate it, and we encourage our students to always be alert and on the lookout for any unusual activity on campus.”

To prevent car theft in the future, Nichols emphasized that students should lock their vehicles and not leave valuables inside the passenger compartment.

“Never leave your keys inside the vehicle. Never leave anything inside the vehicle that would be of value and that might cause someone to break into the vehicle. It’s always good to park in well-lit areas,” he said. “Those common-sense steps go a long way to preventing car thefts or thefts of property left inside cars.”