{
  "id": "2025-04-04-columbia-university-motor-vehicle-theft-motor-vehicle-theft-116thstree",
  "slug": "columbia-university-motor-vehicle-theft-motor-vehicle-theft-116thstree-2025-04-04",
  "institution": {
    "name": "Columbia University",
    "shortName": "Columbia",
    "state": "NY",
    "type": "private-r1",
    "alertSystemName": "Columbia Public Safety Clery Alerts",
    "enrollment": 33000
  },
  "incident": {
    "date": "2025-04-04",
    "type": "motor-vehicle-theft",
    "cleryCategory": "timely-warning",
    "resolution": "under-investigation",
    "headline": "Clery crime alert for a theft near campus",
    "headlinePublic": "Clery crime alert for a theft near campus",
    "summary": "Columbia University Public Safety [issued a Clery crime alert PDF](https://publicsafety.columbia.edu/sites/default/files/content/W10_Clery_Motor_Vehicle_Theft_116thStreetandBroadway_2025-04-04-2025.pdf) (archived [via Wayback](https://web.archive.org/web/20250804133624/https://publicsafety.columbia.edu/sites/default/files/content/W10_Clery_Motor_Vehicle_Theft_116thStreetandBroadway_2025-04-04-2025.pdf)) regarding this incident. Full text is preserved from the official alert flyer.",
    "outcome": "See the Clery crime alert for investigation status and safety guidance.",
    "casualties": {
      "killed": 0,
      "injured": 0
    }
  },
  "alerts": [
    {
      "sequence": 1,
      "type": "initial",
      "timestampApprox": "Published as Columbia Clery crime alert around 2025-04-04",
      "channel": "email",
      "verbatimText": "To see this and other Clery Crime Alerts please visit our Public Safety website. For more\ninformation about Columbia University’s Clery Act compliance efforts, please contact the\nDepartment’s Clery Act Compliance Director, Roberto A. Pineda Sanchez at\nrp3240@columbia.edu\n\nClery Crime Alert\nMotor Vehicle Theft\n\nOn Friday, April 04, 2025, at around 6:57 a.m. a Motor Vehicle Theft occurred at West 116th Street &\nBroadway at the Morningside Campus.\n\nThe complainant, a Columbia University contractor, reported that they briefly parked their vehicle on\nWest 116th Street & Broadway, leaving their car unlocked and the motor running. An unknown individual\nentered the car and drove north on Broadway.\n\nThe incident was reported to Columbia University Public Safety on Friday, April 04, 2025, at around 7:20\na.m. If you have any additional information about this incident, please contact the Department of Public\nSafety at 212-854-2797.\n\nThe suspect is described as male-presenting with a medium-complexion and might be approximately 30-\n40 years old. The suspect also had a beard and was wearing a blue jacket, blue shirt, tan pants, blue &\nyellow sneakers and a dark colored knit cap with stripes.\n\nSafety Tips\n\nNever leave your vehicle with the motor running or\nunlocked for any reason or for any period of time.\nPark in well-lit areas.\nActivate your car alarm if vehicle is equipped with one.\n\nDisclaimer: Clery Crime Alerts (Timely Warning Notifications) are distributed pursuant to\nthe Jeanne Clery Campus Safety Act. Columbia University is required to alert the\ncampus community when certain crimes occur in our Clery Act defined campuses that\nrepresent a serious or continuous threat to the community.\nTo see this and other Clery Crime Alerts please visit our Public Safety website. For more\ninformation about Columbia University’s Clery Act compliance efforts, please contact the\nDepartment’s Clery Act Compliance Director, Roberto A. Pineda Sanchez at\nrp3240@columbia.edu 1/2\n\nhttps://outlook.office365.com/mail/inbox/id/AAQkADBlNmY3MzEyLWViZGYtNDVlMS1hMzA1LTZiMzk4NzJhMTM1MQAQAAiKk0S5BDFJl1G0ZuKE%… 2/2",
      "isVerbatimConfirmed": true,
      "sourceUrl": "https://web.archive.org/web/20250804133624/https://publicsafety.columbia.edu/sites/default/files/content/W10_Clery_Motor_Vehicle_Theft_116thStreetandBroadway_2025-04-04-2025.pdf",
      "sourceDescription": "Columbia Public Safety Clery crime alert PDF via Wayback Machine",
      "annotations": [
        "Full text extracted with pdftotext from official Clery alert PDF archived on Wayback",
        "Live publicsafety.columbia.edu currently returns Cloudflare 403 to automated fetch; Wayback holds the public PDF"
      ],
      "characterCount": 2110
    }
  ],
  "context": "On or about 2025-04-04, [Columbia University](https://www.columbia.edu/) Department of Public Safety published a Clery crime alert flyer. The live [Clery crime alerts index](https://publicsafety.columbia.edu/content/clery-crime-alerts) is currently access-restricted to automated clients (Cloudflare 403); this case uses a [Wayback-archived PDF](https://web.archive.org/web/20250804133624/https://publicsafety.columbia.edu/sites/default/files/content/W10_Clery_Motor_Vehicle_Theft_116thStreetandBroadway_2025-04-04-2025.pdf) of the same public notice series.",
  "keyFindings": [
    "Official Clery crime alert PDF with complete transmitted text",
    "Recovered via Wayback Machine because the live Public Safety host blocks automated access"
  ],
  "sources": [
    {
      "title": "Clery crime alert PDF (Wayback)",
      "url": "https://web.archive.org/web/20250804133624/https://publicsafety.columbia.edu/sites/default/files/content/W10_Clery_Motor_Vehicle_Theft_116thStreetandBroadway_2025-04-04-2025.pdf",
      "type": "official-archive"
    },
    {
      "title": "Columbia Public Safety Clery crime alerts index",
      "url": "https://publicsafety.columbia.edu/content/clery-crime-alerts",
      "type": "official-archive"
    },
    {
      "title": "Columbia University",
      "url": "https://www.columbia.edu/",
      "type": "official"
    }
  ],
  "confidence": "high",
  "tags": [
    "motor-vehicle-theft",
    "clery",
    "timely-warning",
    "columbia",
    "new-york",
    "wayback"
  ],
  "dateAdded": "2026-07-21",
  "lastUpdated": "2026-07-21",
  "addedBy": "ingestion"
}