Campus Alert Archive
USC

Backpack taken through open doorway on Portland Street

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CAburglarytimely warninghigh confidence
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Under Investigation

USC Department of Public Safety published a crime alert for a burglary in the 2300 block of Portland Street.

Alerts
1
Response
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Killed
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Injured
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Institution
University of Southern California
Private R1 · CA
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~49,000 studentsTrojansAlert
Official alert policy
Read when and how USC says it will use TrojansAlert: 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 verbatim4406 chars
Incident Description: The victim was inside his residence with the front door open. The victim’s backpack was on the floor inside the residence near the open doorway. While the victim was away from the immediate area, a male suspect approached the open doorway, leaned inside the residence, took the backpack, and left the area in an unknown direction. The suspect was accompanied by a second suspect. Reported Offense: Burglary Date & Time of Occurrence: 08/11/2026 11:15 a.m. Location: 2300 block of Portland Street, Los Angeles, CA 90007 Report Number: 2602650 Vehicle Description: None Suspect Description (provided by reporting party): Age: Unknown Eye Color: Unknown Hair Color: Dark hair Height: Unknown Race: Hispanic Sex: Male Weight: Medium build Additional Description: Wearing an orange t-shirt and black pants Weapon: None Age: Unknown Eye Color: Unknown Hair Color: Unknown Height: Unknown Race: Hispanic Sex: Male Weight: Medium build Additional Description: Wearing glasses, a black backpack, a long sleeve orange t-shirt, and black pants Weapon: None Click the link(s) below to view images related to this alert: Image 1 Image 2 If you are in immediate DANGER, call the Los Angeles Police Department at 911 or the USC Department of Public Safety at (213) 740-4321. Please note that race, ethnicity, gender and/or religious affiliation are NOT considered the basis for suspicion; only behaviors are considered suspicious. If you have any questions or information relevant to the crime(s) reflected in this alert, immediately call DPS at (213) 740-6000 for the University Park Campus (UPC), (323) 442-1000 for the Health Sciences Campus (HSC) or (213) 485-6571 for the LAPD Southwest Division. The purpose of this warning is to aid in the prevention of similar crimes by alerting the community about the incident and to provide information which allows individuals to make informed decisions about their personal safety. USC Department of Public Safety Recommendations – Burglary - If you observe a crime in progress or discover your home has been burglarized, go to a safe location and call DPS emergency at (213) 740-4321 for UPC, (323) 442-1000 for HSC, or call 911 for LAPD. - Do not attempt to apprehend any suspects or perpetrators of crime. Your personal safety and the safety of others around you should be your primary concern. - Lock your doors and windows, especially when leaving your residence. - Be a good witness : It is important to recall what you observed and provide as many details as possible to law enforcement such as: the sex, race, age, height, hair color, clothing, tattoos, scars of any suspects and a description of the make and model of any vehicle used in the crime and its license plate if possible. For other options to contact DPS, report crime, and ask for help, please visit USC DPS Report a Crime. USC Transportation provides options to travel around USC including the Lyft Rides Program: - Get a Ride: Lyft is available at HSC and UPC to cover shared rides. Lyft at UPC is open from 7 p.m. to 2 a.m. seven days a week (*on home football game days, the program begins 5 hours after scheduled kickoff). Lyft at HSC is open from 5 p.m. to 2 a.m., Monday through Friday only. Please visit the USC Lyft page for more information. - Verify your driver and car: Once you have requested a Lyft ride, you can view the driver’s rating. When your ride arrives, make sure the driver’s photo, license plate number, and vehicle description match. Never take a ride you did not request or get into a car that doesn’t match the details provided by the Lyft app. - Go the extra mile : The Lyft app’s “share your ETA” function allows you to invite friends to see your trip in real-time. The app will draft a text message you can share with friends that includes your ETA and a link to a live map that allows them to track your trip. Too much effort? Call a friend and stay on the line while you’re in the car instead. To receive more information from USC DPS, please register for TrojansAlert: - TrojansAlert : Register for USC’s emergency notification system TrojansAlert to allow university officials to contact you during an emergency by sending messages via text message and email. (Please note that students, staff and faculty automatically are signed up for TrojansAlerts. For additional USC Resources, please visit USC Report & Response.
Verify this quote
USC DPS official crime alert pagedps.usc.edufind archived copies
Dual independent HTML fetch 2026-08-26. sha256 962ab6c38faddff3dfe5ff97ad0c7759fc896a5aa77ecd071295b73f69e79151.
Photos linked from the page were not transcribed.
Official standing chrome (DANGER/911, Clery purpose, burglary recommendations, Lyft, TrojansAlert) included as transmitted on the DPS page.
Distinct incident from 2026-08-12-usc-upc-28th-flower-police-activity: adjacent calendar day; burglary timely warning vs police-activity emergency notification.
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.

Incident Description: The victim was inside his residence with the front door open. The victim’s backpack was on the floor inside the residence near the open doorway. While the victim was away from the immediate area, a male suspect approached the open doorway, leaned inside the residence, took the backpack, and left the area in an unknown direction. The suspect was accompanied by a second suspect. Reported Offense: Burglary Date & Time of Occurrence: 08/11/2026 11:15 a.m. Location: 2300 block of Portland Street, Los Angeles, CA 90007 Report Number: 2602650 Vehicle Description: None Suspect Description (provided by reporting party): Age: Unknown Eye Color: Unknown Hair Color: Dark hair Height: Unknown Race: Hispanic Sex: Male Weight: Medium build Additional Description: Wearing an orange t-shirt and black pants Weapon: None Age: Unknown Eye Color: Unknown Hair Color: Unknown Height: Unknown Race: Hispanic Sex: Male Weight: Medium build Additional Description: Wearing glasses, a black backpack, a long sleeve orange t-shirt, and black pants Weapon: None Click the link(s) below to view images related to this alert: Image 1 Image 2 If you are in immediate DANGER, call the Los Angeles Police Department at 911 or the USC Department of Public Safety at (213) 740-4321. Please note that race, ethnicity, gender and/or religious affiliation are NOT considered the basis for suspicion; only behaviors are considered suspicious. If you have any questions or information relevant to the crime(s) reflected in this alert, immediately call DPS at (213) 740-6000 for the University Park Campus (UPC), (323) 442-1000 for the Health Sciences Campus (HSC) or (213) 485-6571 for the LAPD Southwest Division. The purpose of this warning is to aid in the prevention of similar crimes by alerting the community about the incident and to provide information which allows individuals to make informed decisions about their personal safety. USC Department of Public Safety Recommendations – Burglary - If you observe a crime in progress or discover your home has been burglarized, go to a safe location and call DPS emergency at (213) 740-4321 for UPC, (323) 442-1000 for HSC, or call 911 for LAPD. - Do not attempt to apprehend any suspects or perpetrators of crime. Your personal safety and the safety of others around you should be your primary concern. - Lock your doors and windows, especially when leaving your residence. - Be a good witness : It is important to recall what you observed and provide as many details as possible to law enforcement such as: the sex, race, age, height, hair color, clothing, tattoos, scars of any suspects and a description of the make and model of any vehicle used in the crime and its license plate if possible. For other options to contact DPS, report crime, and ask for help, please visit USC DPS Report a Crime. USC Transportation provides options to travel around USC including the Lyft Rides Program: - Get a Ride: Lyft is available at HSC and UPC to cover shared rides. Lyft at UPC is open from 7 p.m. to 2 a.m. seven days a week (*on home football game days, the program begins 5 hours after scheduled kickoff). Lyft at HSC is open from 5 p.m. to 2 a.m., Monday through Friday only. Please visit the USC Lyft page for more information. - Verify your driver and car: Once you have requested a Lyft ride, you can view the driver’s rating. When your ride arrives, make sure the driver’s photo, license plate number, and vehicle description match. Never take a ride you did not request or get into a car that doesn’t match the details provided by the Lyft app. - Go the extra mile : The Lyft app’s “share your ETA” function allows you to invite friends to see your trip in real-time. The app will draft a text message you can share with friends that includes your ETA and a link to a live map that allows them to track your trip. Too much effort? Call a friend and stay on the line while you’re in the car instead. To receive more information from USC DPS, please register for TrojansAlert: - TrojansAlert : Register for USC’s emergency notification system TrojansAlert to allow university officials to contact you during an emergency by sending messages via text message and email. (Please note that students, staff and faculty automatically are signed up for TrojansAlerts. For additional USC Resources, please visit USC Report & Response.

  • Sourcepresent25/25

    Final assessment

    USC Department of Public Safety identifies the issuing 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: On this independent read I score S from USC Department of Public Safety
    2. present: This pass treats USC Department of Public Safety as the deciding S evidence
    3. present: My vote here hangs on USC Department of Public Safety for S
    4. present: I find USC Department of Public Safety sufficient for S in this pass
    5. present: Element S is present because the text has USC Department of Public Safety
    6. present: For S I rely on the words USC Department of Public Safety
    7. present: This burst carries USC Department of Public Safety, so S is present
    8. present: I code S from the phrase USC Department of Public Safety
    9. present: The deciding language for S is USC Department of Public Safety
    10. present: Pass-level judgment: USC Department of Public Safety meets S
    11. present: I read USC Department of Public Safety and therefore mark S present
    12. present: Nothing else needed: USC Department of Public Safety covers S
    13. present: Scoring S against USC Department of Public Safety in this burst
    14. present: The alert names USC Department of Public Safety, which satisfies S
    15. present: My S vote follows USC Department of Public Safety
    16. present: Present for S: USC Department of Public Safety
    17. present: I treat USC Department of Public Safety as the S marker
    18. present: This wording, USC Department of Public Safety, is my S basis
    19. present: From USC Department of Public Safety I conclude S is in the message
    20. present: Cue USC Department of Public Safety is enough for S here
    21. present: I separately score S using USC Department of Public Safety
    22. present: The text supplies USC Department of Public Safety for S
    23. present: S is 1 on this pass because of USC Department of Public Safety
    24. present: Looking only at this burst, USC Department of Public Safety is the S hit
    25. present: Independent of other elements, USC Department of Public Safety gives S
  • Hazardpresent25/25

    Final assessment

    Reported Offense Burglary names a specific crime.

    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: On this independent read I score H from Burglary
    2. present: This pass treats Burglary as the deciding H evidence
    3. present: My vote here hangs on Burglary for H
    4. present: I find Burglary sufficient for H in this pass
    5. present: Element H is present because the text has Burglary
    6. present: For H I rely on the words Burglary
    7. present: This burst carries Burglary, so H is present
    8. present: I code H from the phrase Burglary
    9. present: The deciding language for H is Burglary
    10. present: Pass-level judgment: Burglary meets H
    11. present: I read Burglary and therefore mark H present
    12. present: Nothing else needed: Burglary covers H
    13. present: Scoring H against Burglary in this burst
    14. present: The alert names Burglary, which satisfies H
    15. present: My H vote follows Burglary
    16. present: Present for H: Burglary
    17. present: I treat Burglary as the H marker
    18. present: This wording, Burglary, is my H basis
    19. present: From Burglary I conclude H is in the message
    20. present: Cue Burglary is enough for H here
    21. present: I separately score H using Burglary
    22. present: The text supplies Burglary for H
    23. present: H is 1 on this pass because of Burglary
    24. present: Looking only at this burst, Burglary is the H hit
    25. present: Independent of other elements, Burglary gives H
  • Locationpresent25/25

    Final assessment

    2300 block of Portland Street is a specific place.

    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: On this independent read I score L from 2300 block of Portland Street
    2. present: This pass treats 2300 block of Portland Street as the deciding L evidence
    3. present: My vote here hangs on 2300 block of Portland Street for L
    4. present: I find 2300 block of Portland Street sufficient for L in this pass
    5. present: Element L is present because the text has 2300 block of Portland Street
    6. present: For L I rely on the words 2300 block of Portland Street
    7. present: This burst carries 2300 block of Portland Street, so L is present
    8. present: I code L from the phrase 2300 block of Portland Street
    9. present: The deciding language for L is 2300 block of Portland Street
    10. present: Pass-level judgment: 2300 block of Portland Street meets L
    11. present: I read 2300 block of Portland Street and therefore mark L present
    12. present: Nothing else needed: 2300 block of Portland Street covers L
    13. present: Scoring L against 2300 block of Portland Street in this burst
    14. present: The alert names 2300 block of Portland Street, which satisfies L
    15. present: My L vote follows 2300 block of Portland Street
    16. present: Present for L: 2300 block of Portland Street
    17. present: I treat 2300 block of Portland Street as the L marker
    18. present: This wording, 2300 block of Portland Street, is my L basis
    19. present: From 2300 block of Portland Street I conclude L is in the message
    20. present: Cue 2300 block of Portland Street is enough for L here
    21. present: I separately score L using 2300 block of Portland Street
    22. present: The text supplies 2300 block of Portland Street for L
    23. present: L is 1 on this pass because of 2300 block of Portland Street
    24. present: Looking only at this burst, 2300 block of Portland Street is the L hit
    25. present: Independent of other elements, 2300 block of Portland Street gives L
  • Guidancepresent25/25

    Final assessment

    Call DPS or 911 and lock doors are recipient instructions.

    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: On this independent read I score G from call DPS or 911 and lock doors and windows
    2. present: This pass treats call DPS or 911 and lock doors and windows as the deciding G evidence
    3. present: My vote here hangs on call DPS or 911 and lock doors and windows for G
    4. present: I find call DPS or 911 and lock doors and windows sufficient for G in this pass
    5. present: Element G is present because the text has call DPS or 911 and lock doors and windows
    6. present: For G I rely on the words call DPS or 911 and lock doors and windows
    7. present: This burst carries call DPS or 911 and lock doors and windows, so G is present
    8. present: I code G from the phrase call DPS or 911 and lock doors and windows
    9. present: The deciding language for G is call DPS or 911 and lock doors and windows
    10. present: Pass-level judgment: call DPS or 911 and lock doors and windows meets G
    11. present: I read call DPS or 911 and lock doors and windows and therefore mark G present
    12. present: Nothing else needed: call DPS or 911 and lock doors and windows covers G
    13. present: Scoring G against call DPS or 911 and lock doors and windows in this burst
    14. present: The alert names call DPS or 911 and lock doors and windows, which satisfies G
    15. present: My G vote follows call DPS or 911 and lock doors and windows
    16. present: Present for G: call DPS or 911 and lock doors and windows
    17. present: I treat call DPS or 911 and lock doors and windows as the G marker
    18. present: This wording, call DPS or 911 and lock doors and windows, is my G basis
    19. present: From call DPS or 911 and lock doors and windows I conclude G is in the message
    20. present: Cue call DPS or 911 and lock doors and windows is enough for G here
    21. present: I separately score G using call DPS or 911 and lock doors and windows
    22. present: The text supplies call DPS or 911 and lock doors and windows for G
    23. present: G is 1 on this pass because of call DPS or 911 and lock doors and windows
    24. present: Looking only at this burst, call DPS or 911 and lock doors and windows is the G hit
    25. present: Independent of other elements, call DPS or 911 and lock doors and windows gives G
  • Timepresent25/25

    Final assessment

    08/11/2026 11:15 a.m. is a clock time.

    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: On this independent read I score T from 08/11/2026 11:15 a.m.
    2. present: This pass treats 08/11/2026 11:15 a.m. as the deciding T evidence
    3. present: My vote here hangs on 08/11/2026 11:15 a.m. for T
    4. present: I find 08/11/2026 11:15 a.m. sufficient for T in this pass
    5. present: Element T is present because the text has 08/11/2026 11:15 a.m.
    6. present: For T I rely on the words 08/11/2026 11:15 a.m.
    7. present: This burst carries 08/11/2026 11:15 a.m., so T is present
    8. present: I code T from the phrase 08/11/2026 11:15 a.m.
    9. present: The deciding language for T is 08/11/2026 11:15 a.m.
    10. present: Pass-level judgment: 08/11/2026 11:15 a.m. meets T
    11. present: I read 08/11/2026 11:15 a.m. and therefore mark T present
    12. present: Nothing else needed: 08/11/2026 11:15 a.m. covers T
    13. present: Scoring T against 08/11/2026 11:15 a.m. in this burst
    14. present: The alert names 08/11/2026 11:15 a.m., which satisfies T
    15. present: My T vote follows 08/11/2026 11:15 a.m.
    16. present: Present for T: 08/11/2026 11:15 a.m.
    17. present: I treat 08/11/2026 11:15 a.m. as the T marker
    18. present: This wording, 08/11/2026 11:15 a.m., is my T basis
    19. present: From 08/11/2026 11:15 a.m. I conclude T is in the message
    20. present: Cue 08/11/2026 11:15 a.m. is enough for T here
    21. present: I separately score T using 08/11/2026 11:15 a.m.
    22. present: The text supplies 08/11/2026 11:15 a.m. for T
    23. present: T is 1 on this pass because of 08/11/2026 11:15 a.m.
    24. present: Looking only at this burst, 08/11/2026 11:15 a.m. is the T hit
    25. present: Independent of other elements, 08/11/2026 11:15 a.m. gives T
  • Impactpresent25/25

    Final assessment

    immediate DANGER states severity to people.

    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. present: On this independent read I score I from immediate DANGER
    2. present: This pass treats immediate DANGER as the deciding I evidence
    3. present: My vote here hangs on immediate DANGER for I
    4. present: I find immediate DANGER sufficient for I in this pass
    5. present: Element I is present because the text has immediate DANGER
    6. present: For I I rely on the words immediate DANGER
    7. present: This burst carries immediate DANGER, so I is present
    8. present: I code I from the phrase immediate DANGER
    9. present: The deciding language for I is immediate DANGER
    10. present: Pass-level judgment: immediate DANGER meets I
    11. present: I read immediate DANGER and therefore mark I present
    12. present: Nothing else needed: immediate DANGER covers I
    13. present: Scoring I against immediate DANGER in this burst
    14. present: The alert names immediate DANGER, which satisfies I
    15. present: My I vote follows immediate DANGER
    16. present: Present for I: immediate DANGER
    17. present: I treat immediate DANGER as the I marker
    18. present: This wording, immediate DANGER, is my I basis
    19. present: From immediate DANGER I conclude I is in the message
    20. present: Cue immediate DANGER is enough for I here
    21. present: I separately score I using immediate DANGER
    22. present: The text supplies immediate DANGER for I
    23. present: I is 1 on this pass because of immediate DANGER
    24. present: Looking only at this burst, immediate DANGER is the I hit
    25. present: Independent of other elements, immediate DANGER gives I

Coded by SuperGrok Heavy 4.5

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

About this analysis
Context

Background

Official USC Department of Public Safety crime alert archive at dps.usc.edu.
Analysis

Key Findings

Complete official DPS crime alert text recovered.
Outcome
See official DPS crime alert for investigation status and safety guidance. Photos not transcribed.
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
    Backpack taken through open doorway on Portland Street
    dps.usc.edu
    archived copy
Cite this case

Campus Alert Archive. "University of Southern California: Backpack taken through open doorway on Portland Street." Incident of August 11, 2026. Added August 2026. https://campusalertarchive.com/case/university-of-southern-california-portland-street-burglary-2026-08-11/

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

Tags
usc2026burglarydpscleryUnder Investigation
Added August 2026Updated August 2026Via ingestion