{
  "id": "2024-05-15-mit-fraternity-burglary",
  "slug": "mit-fraternity-burglary-2024-05-15",
  "institution": {
    "name": "Massachusetts Institute of Technology",
    "shortName": "MIT",
    "state": "MA",
    "type": "private-r1",
    "alertSystemName": "MIT Alert",
    "enrollment": 11858
  },
  "incident": {
    "date": "2024-05-15",
    "type": "burglary",
    "cleryCategory": "timely-warning",
    "resolution": "under-investigation",
    "headline": "Overnight break-in at a fraternity house, the second burglary there in six months",
    "headlinePublic": "Overnight break-in at a fraternity house, the second burglary there in six months",
    "summary": "On May 15, 2024, MIT Police responded to a [burglary report at Alpha Delta Phi fraternity](https://police.mit.edu/crime-alert/timely-warning-burglary-25) at 351 Massachusetts Avenue in Cambridge. A male suspect forcibly broke through the front door at approximately 3:51 AM EDT and stole a backpack containing a PlayStation console, game cartridges, and a guitar. This was the [second burglary at the same fraternity house](https://police.mit.edu/timely-warnings) within six months.",
    "outcome": "The suspect was not immediately apprehended. MIT Police issued a timely warning to the campus community. The incident was part of a pattern of burglaries at MIT fraternity houses during 2024."
  },
  "alerts": [
    {
      "sequence": 1,
      "type": "initial",
      "timestamp": "2024-05-15T12:20:00-04:00",
      "channel": "email",
      "verbatimText": "TIMELY WARNING - BURGLARY: On May 15, 2024, at 12:20 p.m., the MIT Police responded to Alpha Delta Phi, an MIT fraternity located at 351 Massachusetts Ave., in Cambridge on a report of a burglary. The reporting party stated that at 03:51 a.m., a male suspect forcibly broke through the front door and entered the residence. The suspect then stole a backpack containing a play station console, game cartridges, attachments and a guitar in a soft case. According to video surveillance provided by the fraternity, the suspect appears to be a male, unknown race, medium build, wearing a white cowboy hat, light blue short-sleeve t-shirt and dark blue pants.\n\nCRIME PREVENTION TIPS:\n- Immediately notify the MIT Police at 617-253-1212 or 100 from any campus phone if you believe a crime is occurring, has occurred, or is about to occur.\n- Always lock your residential doors and windows, assure that the locks are in good working order, and close and lock first floor windows at night or when not at home.\n- Lock your residential door if you are leaving (even if only for a minute or two).\n- Report suspicious people or activity. Report all tailgaters.",
      "isVerbatimConfirmed": true,
      "sourceUrl": "https://police.mit.edu/crime-alert/timely-warning-burglary-25",
      "sourceDescription": "MIT Police Crime Alerts page",
      "annotations": [
        "The report was filed at 12:20 PM EDT on May 15, the same day, roughly eight hours after the burglary occurred at 3:51 AM EDT",
        "The suspect description in the warning included a distinctive white cowboy hat, an unusual identifying detail",
        "The suspect gained entry by forcing the front door, a different method than the December 2023 burglary at the same address where no forced entry was reported"
      ],
      "characterCount": 1146
    }
  ],
  "context": "On May 15, 2024, MIT Police responded to a burglary at [Alpha Delta Phi fraternity at 351 Massachusetts Avenue](https://police.mit.edu/crime-alert/timely-warning-burglary-25) in Cambridge. A suspect forcibly broke through the front door at 3:51 AM EDT and stole electronics and a guitar. This was the second burglary at the same fraternity house in six months; in December 2023, two males entered the building and [stole two bicycles from the basement storage room](https://police.mit.edu/crime-alert/burglary-alpha-delta-phi) without any signs of forced entry. MIT Police also documented additional burglaries at other fraternity houses during 2024, including incidents at [Beta Theta Pi in September 2024](https://police.mit.edu/timely-warnings) where bicycles were stolen. The pattern of targeting fraternity houses highlighted vulnerabilities in residential security for MIT's Independent Living Groups along Massachusetts Avenue.",
  "keyFindings": [
    "Alpha Delta Phi at 351 Massachusetts Avenue was burglarized twice within six months, with different methods of entry each time",
    "MIT experienced a broader pattern of fraternity burglaries throughout 2024, with bicycles and electronics being the most common targets",
    "The timely warning was issued approximately eight hours after the burglary occurred"
  ],
  "sources": [
    {
      "title": "Timely Warning Burglary - May 15, 2024 (MIT Police)",
      "url": "https://police.mit.edu/crime-alert/timely-warning-burglary-25",
      "type": "official-archive"
    },
    {
      "title": "Burglary at Alpha Delta Phi - December 2023 (MIT Police)",
      "url": "https://police.mit.edu/crime-alert/burglary-alpha-delta-phi",
      "type": "official-archive"
    },
    {
      "title": "Crime Alerts and Timely Warnings (MIT Police)",
      "url": "https://police.mit.edu/timely-warnings",
      "type": "official-archive"
    }
  ],
  "confidence": "high",
  "tags": [
    "burglary",
    "timely-warning",
    "fraternity",
    "forced-entry",
    "electronics-theft",
    "massachusetts",
    "private-university"
  ],
  "dateAdded": "2026-05-03",
  "lastUpdated": "2026-06-01",
  "addedBy": "ingestion"
}