Charlottesville Police arrested and jailed a man Monday for breaking into the Kent Terrace house of an Engineering student..
The suspect, 34-year-old Charlottesville resident Frederick Ayers, was charged with assault and battery, burglary and grand larceny.
Charlottesville Police Lt. Gary Pleasants said the charges were separate because the suspect entered the house, fought with Foster in an attempt to escape and stole over $200 worth of items.
"One of the roommates came home and found a male standing in one of his roommate's rooms, and his roommate was asleep on the bed," Pleasants said.
Pleasants said the suspect bit Foster's hand in the fight and stole his cell phone.
"They fought their way through the house," he said. "The suspect got out of the house, got into his car and left."
University spokesperson Carol Wood said the University was aware of the incident. She said students should stay alert and report suspicious behavior.
"We're concerned about every incident that affects any member of the University community," Wood said.
Although police did not classify the incident as "peeping" because the suspect actually entered the home, the report stated that Ayers was standing in the room looking at Foster's sleeping roommate.
Charlottesville Police Det. Sgt. Paul Davis said students should be aware of the security around their homes. Davis said he recommends precautions such as drawing curtains and blinds at night and being aware of the visibility of personal rooms. He said students can get a false sense of security living in dorms or on upper-story floors.
"Have a friend go with outside with you at nighttime and see what you can see in your own room, but don't go by yourself," he said.
Davis said in his 17 years of working for the Charlottesville Police, he has seen many similar incidents, particularly involving peeping.
"There has always been peeping going on in the college area," he said. "College towns tend to draw more peepers."
Davis said he partially attributed this trend to the lack of maintenance of personal safety.
Wood recommended carrying cell phones and mini-flashlights for security, especially when walking outside at night. She said the University continues to emphasize the importance of locking doors and windows and being aware of one's surroundings.
"Charlottesville is considered a safe community, but students should not be lulled into thinking there is no danger," she said.
Foster could not be reached for comment at press time yesterday.
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