Residential burglaries have become increasingly prevalent throughout the downtown and campus area in recent weeks.
A residential apartment was robbed early Monday morning on the 600 block of North Frances Street, the Madison Police Department reported.
The victim, a 19-year-old woman, lost her wallet, including money and credit cards, but no one was injured.
The victim and her roommates left their apartment to go out Sunday night around 10 p.m., and surveillance cameras in the building show an intruder attempting to enter unlocked apartments around 11 p.m.
Once the intruder discovered the victim's apartment to be unlocked, he entered.
Although the burglary did not include forced entry, many recent downtown burglaries have. Cutting window screens and then reaching inside for readily available items has happened on more than one occasion. However, the majority of burglars are looking for easier ways to get inside through unlocked doors or windows, police said.
Expensive items such as iPods and laptops are especially at risk; even moreso when left in vulnerable places that are easy to spot.
According to a police report, burglars have been attempting to steal when it is likely the resident will be gone, such as on Friday or Saturday night.
Police emphasized that all downtown residents should lock their doors and keep small electronics out of view and locked away.
