Police investigate 2 weekend break-ins at UC Davis campus, including hydrology building

Two buildings at the University of California, Davis campus were broken into over the weekend, and miscellaneous technological items were stolen, university police said.

Veihmeyer Hall on the north side of the campus was broken into sometime during the weekend, and the Food and Science Sprocket Laboratory, just east of Veihmeyer Hall, was broken into sometime between 3 p.m. Sunday and 9 a.m. Monday, when the break in was reported, according to UC Davis Police Department spokesman Lt. Doug Voska.

Miscellaneous tech was stolen from Veihmeyer Hall, police said. However, nothing appeared to have been taken from the inside of the Sprocket building.

Police said they do not know yet how thieves broke into either building but noted similarities between the two incidents. Voska said officers found a thin piece of metal on the exterior door of the Sprocket building that seemed to prevent the door from locking, but he said someone would have to get into the building first to place it there.

Veihmeyer Hall is home to the hydrology department that studies water. Sprocket is used by the food science and technology department.

Neither break-in over the weekend showed forced entry into exterior doors of the building, but interior doors between rooms did, authorities said.

More than six weeks earlier, a break-in was reported in the university’s music department. Law enforcement are not connecting the thefts but said there are similarities in terms of broken locks among the three incidents. All three incidents also occurred during weekends.

Procedural factors may have played a role, police said. Some campus buildings are unlocked or open during certain days and times to make it easier for students to access them, campus police said.

“It’s incumbent upon the procedures so that certain people make sure that there’s nobody in the building after certain times and certain days,” Voska said.

Police said they do have any suspects or leads. Authorities pointed to the lack of a robust surveillance system.

“The university and the police have a plan to harden the campus buildings, which would involve a number of different factors, better doors better locking systems, cameras, alarms (and) things like that,” Voska said.