Campus Safety apprehended a suspect who allegedly stole expensive electronics from cars on and around campus.

The suspect was described as a high school student. He was detained when he was seen on a surveillance tape in the parking garage under Nelson Hall.

“We had caught the suspect on film breaking into cars before,” Capt. Michael Holt of Campus Safety said.

“A dispatcher saw someone matching the appearance of the thief and called it in to us,” Holt said.

He added that the dispatcher recognized the suspect because he was wearing the same clothes as when he had previously been witnessed breaking into cars on surveillance tape.

When confronted by Campus Safety officers in the Nelson parking garage, the suspect confessed to previous thefts.

Campus Safety called the Denver Police Department and officers took the suspect into custody.

Holt said the suspect had only been entering unlocked cars, not breaking into them.

In most cases, he took electronics such as iPods or GPS units and occasionally took cash left in plain view. Denver Police and Campus Safety are attempting to locate the stolen items. However, tracking down stolen goods and devices could be difficult according to Holt.

“We think the thief sold the items he stole on a website like eBay or Craigslist,” said Holt, adding that it is unlikely the stolen items will be recovered.

Besides the burglaries in Nelson garage, more than 40 cars have been stolen from campus lots and nearby streets. No suspects have been identified in the car thefts thus far.