Campus Alert Archive
Columbia

Burglaries at 521 and 526 West 112th Street

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Under Investigation

Columbia Public Safety issued Clery Crime Alert 2025-W35.

Alerts
1
Response
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Killed
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Injured
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Institution
Columbia University
Private R1 · NY
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~33,000 studentsColumbia Public Safety Clery Alert
Official alert policy
Read when and how Columbia says it will use Emergency Notification System: summarized, quoted, and analyzed.
Documented Timeline

Alert Sequence

1 message in sequence · 1 verified verbatim

Confirmed wording is transcribed character-for-character from a primary source. Use Verify this quote under each message to open that source in a new tab and compare the text yourself.

INITIAL ALERTEmail
Verified verbatim2304 chars
Clery Crime Alert Burglary / Package Thefts The Department of Public Safety was just informed that on Thursday, November 13th, 2025, at approximately 11:39 p.m. a Burglary occurred at 526 West 112th Street. The same individual also committed a similar crime on Saturday, November 8th, 2025, at 1:44 p.m. at 521 West 112th Street. The individual is male presenting with a light brown complexion and a mustache. They were wearing a red hoodie, a black jacket, black jeans and dark colored sneakers. A video review shows the individual pushing open an unsecured door to gain entry. Once inside the building, the individual opened several packages and removed the contents. The individual was last seen walking eastbound on West 112th Street towards Amsterdam Ave. If you have any additional information about this incident, please contact Public Safety at 212-854-2797. Harm Reduction Strategies: Do not buzz people into a building unless you know who they are and what they are doing. Please try to retrieve your package(s) in a timely manner. When safe, and if possible, do not allow others to piggyback behind you when you are entering your apartment building. If you do not feel safe stopping a person from piggybacking behind you, you can always call Public Safety (212-854-2797) once you are in a safe location. Make sure the doors lock behind you every time to enter or exit a building. Stay informed about delivery statuses and estimated arrival times and try to retrieve your package(s) in a timely manner. Many mail carriers (UPS, FedEx) have offices where you can drop-off and pick-up your packages safely. You can also arrange delivery to partnered local businesses, like pharmacies. Disclaimer: Clery Crime Alerts (Timely Warning Notifications) are distributed pursuant to the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act. Columbia University is required to alert the campus community when certain crimes occur in our Clery Act defined campuses that represent a serious or continuous threat to the community. To see this and other Clery Crime Alerts please visit our Public Safety website. For more information about Columbia University’s Clery Act compliance efforts, please contact the Department’s Compliance Unit by emailing ps-compliance@columbia.edu.
Verify this quote
Columbia Public Safety Clery Crime Alert PDF (2025-W35)publicsafety.columbia.edufind archived copies
PDF text layer ligatures normalized to ASCII. sha256 4cd46b3b1a3a702f9854b57afe785e4f4ed832ecf5880a1b48d1f1b4c45188ab. Dual-fetch PDF bytes as packaged.
Columbia Clery 2025-W35 flyer.
Message elements

How the first alert is built

To check this alert, SuperGrok Heavy 4.5 (an AI) read it in full 25 separate times, independently. Each read decided whether the message answers each of the six questions and gave a short reason. A final reviewer then weighed all 25 and wrote the plain-English verdict you see when you open a row. The score (for example 22/25) is how many reads agreed; the 25 individual reads are tucked underneath if you want to check them.

Clery Crime Alert Burglary / Package Thefts The Department of Public Safety was just informed that on Thursday, November 13th, 2025, at approximately 11:39 p.m. a Burglary occurred at 526 West 112th Street. The same individual also committed a similar crime on Saturday, November 8th, 2025, at 1:44 p.m. at 521 West 112th Street. The individual is male presenting with a light brown complexion and a mustache. They were wearing a red hoodie, a black jacket, black jeans and dark colored sneakers. A video review shows the individual pushing open an unsecured door to gain entry. Once inside the building, the individual opened several packages and removed the contents. The individual was last seen walking eastbound on West 112th Street towards Amsterdam Ave. If you have any additional information about this incident, please contact Public Safety at 212-854-2797. Harm Reduction Strategies: Do not buzz people into a building unless you know who they are and what they are doing. Please try to retrieve your package(s) in a timely manner. When safe, and if possible, do not allow others to piggyback behind you when you are entering your apartment building. If you do not feel safe stopping a person from piggybacking behind you, you can always call Public Safety (212-854-2797) once you are in a safe location. Make sure the doors lock behind you every time to enter or exit a building. Stay informed about delivery statuses and estimated arrival times and try to retrieve your package(s) in a timely manner. Many mail carriers (UPS, FedEx) have offices where you can drop-off and pick-up your packages safely. You can also arrange delivery to partnered local businesses, like pharmacies. Disclaimer: Clery Crime Alerts (Timely Warning Notifications) are distributed pursuant to the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act. Columbia University is required to alert the campus community when certain crimes occur in our Clery Act defined campuses that represent a serious or continuous threat to the community. To see this and other Clery Crime Alerts please visit our Public Safety website. For more information about Columbia University’s Clery Act compliance efforts, please contact the Department’s Compliance Unit by emailing ps-compliance@columbia.edu.

  • Sourcepresent25/25

    Final assessment

    All 25 reads find Source present: the Clery Crime Alert names the Department of Public Safety as the informing authority.

    Who is sending the alert and who is responding. People act faster on a message from a clearly identifiable, credible sender, such as a named department, the police, or a branded alert system, than on an anonymous notice. A branded signature counts.

    See all 25 individual reads
    1. present: "Clery Crime Alert" and "The Department of Public Safety" identify who sent it.
    2. present: "Clery Crime Alert" and "The Department of Public Safety" name the sender, with Columbia University in the disclaimer.
    3. present: The Department of Public Safety is named as the informing and contact authority, with Columbia University in the disclaimer.
    4. present: The branded Clery Crime Alert and Department of Public Safety name the issuer.
    5. present: "Clery Crime Alert" and "The Department of Public Safety" identify the sending authority.
    6. present: "Clery Crime Alert" and the Department of Public Safety identify who is issuing the warning.
    7. present: "Clery Crime Alert" and the Department of Public Safety identify the authority.
    8. present: "Clery Crime Alert" and the Department of Public Safety identify who is warning the campus.
    9. present: Clery Crime Alert and the Department of Public Safety name the issuing authority.
    10. present: Branded "Clery Crime Alert" and the Department of Public Safety identify who issued it.
    11. present: The "Clery Crime Alert" header and Department of Public Safety identify who is issuing the notice.
    12. present: Clery Crime Alert and the Department of Public Safety identify the source.
    13. present: "Clery Crime Alert" and the Department of Public Safety identify the sender.
    14. present: Opens with Clery Crime Alert and names the Department of Public Safety.
    15. present: The branded "Clery Crime Alert" and Department of Public Safety identify the sender.
    16. present: "Clery Crime Alert" and the Department of Public Safety identify the sender.
    17. present: The Clery Crime Alert and Department of Public Safety identify the issuing office.
    18. present: "Clery Crime Alert" and the Department of Public Safety identify who is sending the alert.
    19. present: The "Clery Crime Alert" brand and Department of Public Safety identify the authority.
    20. present: "Clery Crime Alert" and the Department of Public Safety identify the sender.
    21. present: "Clery Crime Alert" and the Department of Public Safety identify the issuer.
    22. present: "Clery Crime Alert" and the Department of Public Safety name the issuing authority.
    23. present: The Department of Public Safety and "Clery Crime Alert" identify the source.
    24. present: "Clery Crime Alert" and "The Department of Public Safety" name the issuing authority.
    25. present: "Clery Crime Alert" and "The Department of Public Safety" identify the issuing authority.
  • Hazardpresent25/25

    Final assessment

    All 25 reads find Hazard present because the text names burglary and package thefts.

    What the threat actually is. A complete warning names the specific danger, such as a shooter, a fire, a tornado, or a gas leak, rather than a vague emergency, because people decide what to do based on what they are facing.

    See all 25 individual reads
    1. present: The heading names "Burglary / Package Thefts".
    2. present: It names "Burglary / Package Thefts" as the specific threat.
    3. present: It names burglary and package thefts, with the person opening several packages and removing the contents.
    4. present: It specifies burglary and package thefts as the threat.
    5. present: It names "Burglary / Package Thefts" as the specific hazard.
    6. present: It names "Burglary / Package Thefts" as the threat.
    7. present: The alert names burglary and package thefts as the threat.
    8. present: The heading names burglary and package thefts as the specific threat.
    9. present: It specifies burglary and package thefts as the hazard.
    10. present: It names "Burglary / Package Thefts" as the specific hazard.
    11. present: It names "Burglary / Package Thefts" as the specific hazard.
    12. present: Burglary and package thefts name a specific crime threat.
    13. present: "Burglary / Package Thefts" names a specific crime type.
    14. present: The heading names Burglary and Package Thefts as the specific crimes.
    15. present: The heading names "Burglary / Package Thefts" as the specific hazard.
    16. present: It names burglary and package thefts as the threat.
    17. present: Burglary and package thefts are named as the threat.
    18. present: The heading and body name "Burglary" and package theft as the specific crimes.
    19. present: It names "Burglary / Package Thefts" as the hazard.
    20. present: The text names "Burglary" and "Package Thefts" as the specific hazard.
    21. present: The heading "Burglary / Package Thefts" names the specific crimes.
    22. present: The heading names "Burglary / Package Thefts" as the specific crimes.
    23. present: "Burglary / Package Thefts" names a specific crime threat.
    24. present: It names "Burglary" and "Package Thefts" as the specific crimes.
    25. present: It names "Burglary / Package Thefts" as the threat.
  • Locationpresent25/25

    Final assessment

    All 25 reads find Location present: 526 West 112th Street and 521 West 112th Street.

    Where the threat is. Saying whether danger is in a specific building, a part of campus, or area-wide lets people judge their own proximity and choose a safe direction. Without a where, a warning is hard to act on precisely.

    See all 25 individual reads
    1. present: It lists "526 West 112th Street" and "521 West 112th Street", plus Amsterdam Ave.
    2. present: It cites 526 West 112th Street and 521 West 112th Street, plus last seen toward Amsterdam Ave.
    3. present: Incidents are at 526 West 112th Street and 521 West 112th Street, with the person walking toward Amsterdam Ave.
    4. present: It names 526 West 112th Street and 521 West 112th Street, plus a last seen direction on that street.
    5. present: It cites "526 West 112th Street" and "521 West 112th Street".
    6. present: Addresses 526 West 112th Street and 521 West 112th Street are given, plus last seen toward Amsterdam Ave.
    7. present: It cites 526 and 521 West 112th Street and movement toward Amsterdam Ave.
    8. present: Addresses include 526 and 521 West 112th Street, plus eastbound toward Amsterdam Ave.
    9. present: Addresses include 526 West 112th Street and 521 West 112th Street.
    10. present: Addresses include 526 West 112th Street and 521 West 112th Street.
    11. present: It cites 526 West 112th Street and 521 West 112th Street, then eastbound toward Amsterdam Ave.
    12. present: Locations include 526 West 112th Street, 521 West 112th Street, and Amsterdam Ave.
    13. present: Addresses include 526 and 521 West 112th Street, with last seen toward Amsterdam Ave.
    14. present: It locates the crimes at 526 West 112th Street and 521 West 112th Street.
    15. present: Locations include 526 and 521 West 112th Street and eastbound toward Amsterdam Ave.
    16. present: It gives 526 and 521 West 112th Street, plus last seen toward Amsterdam Ave.
    17. present: It cites 526 West 112th Street and 521 West 112th Street.
    18. present: It names 526 West 112th Street and 521 West 112th Street, plus Amsterdam Ave.
    19. present: Locations include 526 West 112th Street, 521 West 112th Street, and walking toward Amsterdam Ave.
    20. present: Incidents are at 526 West 112th Street and 521 West 112th Street, then toward Amsterdam Ave.
    21. present: Locations include 526 West 112th Street, 521 West 112th Street, and eastbound toward Amsterdam Ave.
    22. present: Locations include 526 West 112th Street, 521 West 112th Street, and eastbound toward Amsterdam Ave.
    23. present: It gives 526 West 112th Street and 521 West 112th Street.
    24. present: Locations include 526 and 521 West 112th Street and eastbound toward Amsterdam Ave.
    25. present: It cites 526 West 112th Street and 521 West 112th Street, then eastbound toward Amsterdam Ave.
  • Guidancepresent25/25

    Final assessment

    All 25 reads find Guidance present: tips tell recipients not to buzz unknown people in, to make sure doors lock, and to retrieve packages promptly.

    The protective action to take. A clear, specific instruction, such as shelter in place, evacuate, avoid the area, or run-hide-fight, drives faster and more correct protective behavior than describing the threat alone.

    See all 25 individual reads
    1. present: Harm reduction tells people not to buzz strangers, retrieve packages promptly, and lock doors.
    2. present: Harm reduction instructs not to buzz strangers, retrieve packages promptly, and lock doors.
    3. present: It instructs not to buzz unknown people in, not to allow piggybacking, to lock doors, and to retrieve packages promptly.
    4. present: Readers are told not to buzz unknown people, to retrieve packages promptly, and to lock doors.
    5. present: Harm reduction tells people not to buzz strangers, to retrieve packages, and to lock doors.
    6. present: Harm reduction tells readers not to buzz unknown people, retrieve packages promptly, and lock doors.
    7. present: Harm reduction instructs not to buzz strangers, retrieve packages, and lock doors.
    8. present: Readers are told not to buzz strangers, retrieve packages promptly, and make doors lock.
    9. present: Harm reduction directs not to buzz unknowns, retrieve packages promptly, and lock doors.
    10. present: Harm reduction instructs not to buzz unknown visitors, retrieve packages promptly, and lock doors.
    11. present: Recipients are told not to buzz unknown people, retrieve packages promptly, and ensure doors lock.
    12. present: Protective instructions include not buzzing unknown people in, locking doors, and retrieving packages promptly.
    13. present: Harm reduction instructs not to buzz strangers, lock doors, avoid piggybacking, and retrieve packages.
    14. present: It tells readers not to buzz strangers, to retrieve packages promptly, and to make doors lock.
    15. present: Protective steps include not buzzing strangers, retrieving packages, avoiding piggybacking, and locking doors.
    16. present: Harm reduction instructs not to buzz unknown people, retrieve packages promptly, and lock doors.
    17. present: Instructions include not buzzing unknown people, retrieving packages, and locking doors.
    18. present: Readers are told not to buzz unknown people in, retrieve packages promptly, and lock doors.
    19. present: Harm reduction instructs not to buzz strangers, lock doors, and retrieve packages promptly.
    20. present: Readers are told not to buzz strangers, retrieve packages promptly, avoid piggybacking, and lock doors.
    21. present: It instructs not to buzz strangers, to retrieve packages promptly, and to lock doors behind you.
    22. present: Readers are instructed not to buzz unknown people, to lock doors, and to retrieve packages promptly.
    23. present: Harm reduction tells people not to buzz strangers, retrieve packages, and lock doors.
    24. present: It instructs not to buzz strangers, to retrieve packages promptly, and to lock doors.
    25. present: Harm Reduction directs people not to buzz strangers, to retrieve packages promptly, and to lock doors.
  • Timepresent25/25

    Final assessment

    All 25 reads find Time present via Thursday, November 13th, 2025, at approximately 11:39 p.m. and a Saturday, November 8 similar crime.

    When the message applies. A timestamp, the word now or immediately, or a phrase like until further notice tells the reader whether the danger is current and how quickly to act.

    See all 25 individual reads
    1. present: It gives Thursday, November 13th, 2025 at approximately 11:39 p.m. and November 8th at 1:44 p.m.
    2. present: It gives Thursday, November 13th, 2025, at approximately 11:39 p.m. and another date and time.
    3. present: It gives Thursday, November 13th, 2025 at approximately 11:39 p.m. and Saturday, November 8th, 2025 at 1:44 p.m.
    4. present: It reports Thursday, November 13th, 2025, at approximately 11:39 p.m., and another dated time.
    5. present: It gives Thursday, November 13th, 2025, at approximately 11:39 p.m. and another date and time.
    6. present: It timestamps Thursday, November 13th, 2025 at about 11:39 p.m. and November 8th at 1:44 p.m.
    7. present: It gives Thursday, November 13th, 2025 at about 11:39 p.m. and November 8th at 1:44 p.m.
    8. present: It reports Thursday, November 13th, 2025 at about 11:39 p.m. and Saturday, November 8th at 1:44 p.m.
    9. present: It gives Thursday, November 13th, 2025, at approximately 11:39 p.m. and an earlier date and time.
    10. present: It reports Thursday, November 13th, 2025, at approximately 11:39 p.m. and another date and time.
    11. present: Times include Thursday, November 13th, 2025, at approximately 11:39 p.m. and November 8 at 1:44 p.m.
    12. present: It gives November 13th, 2025 at approximately 11:39 p.m. and November 8th, 2025 at 1:44 p.m.
    13. present: It gives Thursday, November 13, 2025 at about 11:39 p.m. and Saturday, November 8 at 1:44 p.m.
    14. present: It gives November 13th, 2025 at approximately 11:39 p.m. and November 8th at 1:44 p.m.
    15. present: Clock times and dates appear: November 13 at about 11:39 p.m. and November 8 at 1:44 p.m.
    16. present: It includes Thursday, November 13th, 2025 at approximately 11:39 p.m. and a second dated time.
    17. present: Times include November 13th, 2025 at about 11:39 p.m. and November 8th at 1:44 p.m.
    18. present: It gives Thursday, November 13th, 2025, at approximately 11:39 p.m. and another date and time.
    19. present: It gives Thursday, November 13th, 2025, at approximately 11:39 p.m. and November 8th at 1:44 p.m.
    20. present: It reports Thursday, November 13th, 2025, at approximately 11:39 p.m. and another dated time.
    21. present: It gives November 13th, 2025 at about 11:39 p.m. and November 8th at 1:44 p.m.
    22. present: It gives Thursday, November 13th, 2025 at approximately 11:39 p.m. and Saturday, November 8th at 1:44 p.m.
    23. present: It includes Thursday, November 13th, 2025, at approximately 11:39 p.m. and another time.
    24. present: It gives Thursday, November 13th, 2025 at about 11:39 p.m. and November 8th at 1:44 p.m.
    25. present: Times include Thursday, November 13th, 2025 at about 11:39 p.m. and Saturday, November 8th at 1:44 p.m.
  • Impactabsent0/25

    Final assessment

    All 25 reads find Impact absent: opening packages and removing contents is the theft outcome without injury, danger, or other severity.

    What the hazard could do to the people in its path. Beyond naming the threat, a complete warning conveys its potential consequences or severity, such as that a tornado can level buildings or that a leak could be explosive, so recipients grasp how much danger they are in. Research on warning message content finds that a concrete impact statement helps people personalize their risk and act sooner.

    See all 25 individual reads
    1. absent: Opening packages and removing contents describes the theft outcome, not harm or severity.
    2. absent: Opening packages and removing contents is the theft itself, not a harm or severity statement.
    3. absent: It does not state danger, injury, or other severity beyond describing the burglaries.
    4. absent: Opening packages and removing contents is the crime result, not a consequence or severity statement.
    5. absent: Opening packages and removing contents is the crime itself, not a stated impact.
    6. absent: Opening packages and removing contents is the crime's outcome, not a stated consequence such as injury or danger.
    7. absent: Opening packages and removing contents describes the crime, not harm or severity.
    8. absent: Removing package contents is the crime's result, not a consequence or severity statement.
    9. absent: Opening packages and removing contents is the crime result, not an impact or severity claim.
    10. absent: Opening packages and removing contents is the crime itself, not a harm or severity statement.
    11. absent: Removed package contents is a past crime result, not a statement of harm or severity.
    12. absent: Opening packages and removing contents is the crime itself, not a harm or severity statement.
    13. absent: Opening packages and removing contents is the crime outcome, not stated impact or severity.
    14. absent: Opening packages and removing contents is the crime outcome, not a consequence or severity statement.
    15. absent: Removing package contents is an outcome of the theft, not a harm or severity statement.
    16. absent: Opening packages and removing contents is the crime itself, not a harm statement.
    17. absent: Opening packages and removing contents is a past outcome, not impact language.
    18. absent: Opening packages and removing contents is the crime itself, not a stated harm or severity.
    19. absent: Removed package contents describe the crime, not consequences such as injury or danger.
    20. absent: Opening packages and removing contents describes the crime, not injury, danger, or other impact.
    21. absent: Opening packages and removing contents is the crime itself, not a stated consequence or severity.
    22. absent: Opening packages and removing contents describes the crime, not consequences or severity.
    23. absent: Opening packages is described as what already happened, with no severity or harm stated.
    24. absent: Opening packages and removing contents describes the crime, not injury or other severity.
    25. absent: Removed package contents describe the completed theft, not injury, danger, or other severity.

Coded by SuperGrok Heavy 4.5

Systematic AI judgments with visible reasoning, not human-validated codings.

About this analysis
Context

Background

Columbia Public Safety posts Clery Crime Alerts as PDFs. Official product: the 2025-W35 warning.
Analysis

Key Findings

Official Clery Crime Alert PDF recovered from the Public Safety files host.
Outcome
Public Safety seeking tips at 212-854-2797.
Provenance

Sources

Every claim on this page is meant to be checkable. Open the links below (and the Verify this quote control under each confirmed alert) to read the original university, news, or archive page yourself. Hostnames are shown so you can see where you are going; archived copies survive when live pages move or disappear. See also our methodology.

  1. Official
    Columbia Public Safety Clery Crime Alert PDF (2025-W35)
    publicsafety.columbia.edu
    archived copy
Cite this case

Campus Alert Archive. "Columbia University: Burglaries at 521 and 526 West 112th Street." Incident of November 8, 2025. Added September 2026. https://campusalertarchive.com/case/columbia-university-521-526-west-112th-burglaries-2025-11-08/

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Alert text quoted on this page remains the work of the issuing institution; the archive is a secondary source.

Tags
private-r1new-yorkcolumbiaivycleryburglaryUnder Investigation
Added September 2026Updated September 2026Via ingestion