CAMPUS ALERT NOTIFICATION

On Tuesday, 1-27-09 Campus Police received a report of the following incident that occurred on Monday 1-26-09.

At about 11:30 a.m. on Monday 1-26-09, as a female student approached her vehicle parked in the eastern end of Lot K at Cal State Bakersfield, she saw a male subject inside her vehicle.

The student confronted the subject who told her he is homeless and goes to school here.  The female student asked the subject how he got in her vehicle and he showed her a Saturn car key and said that a lot of Saturn keys open other Saturn doors. The victim told the suspect to empty out his pockets to see if he had any of her property. The subject complied and he pulled out a gift card and some change that she had inside her vehicle. The subject gave the property back to the victim.

The subject left the parking lot heading westbound toward campus. The victim described the subject as a
Black male, early 20s, 5'9", 175 lbs, wearing a black hooded sweatshirt and carrying a red and black backpack.

BE OBSERVANT AND USE CAUTION WHEN APPROACHING AND ENTERING YOUR VEHICLES.  REPORT ANY UNUSUAL ACTIVITY TO THE CAMPUS POLICE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE AT 654-2111 OR 9-1-1 FROM ANY CAMPUS PHONE

FOLLOW UP INFORMATION TO CAMPUS ALERT 1-27-09

After the Campus Alert on 1-27-09 involving entry into a Saturn parked in Lot K with a different Saturn key, the UPD did some follow up to ascertain whether there is a common problem with Saturn keys being able to open other Saturns.  After checking with the Saturn dealership, LAPD Auto Theft Division, Kern Co. Sheriff's Dept., and BPD; we learned it is not currently a problem. The 2005 and 2006 Saturns were more susceptible to this than newer models, although even for those years it was not a common or widespread problem. In some cases, particularly with those year models, when a Saturn key got a little worn, it could sometimes be used to open another Saturn. 

Claudia A. Neal, Chief of Police
654-2111