Sonoma State bookstore robbed...again

It was an all too familiar scenario when students received a timely warning e-mail last month informing of a recent burglary at the campus bookstore.

On Monday, Dec. 19 at 6:08 p.m. Police Services responded to a burglary alarm at the bookstore, run by Barnes & Noble, but failed to locate any suspects.

The thief made out with an undisclosed amount of cash, according to Susan Kashack, associate vice president for communications and marketing.

Though SSU has a reputation of being fairly safe, students are questioning their security on campus.

"It kind of puts people on their toes," said library employee and student Kimberly Soeiro. "I live on campus and didn't know if the dorms would also get broken into, so it made me nervous."

Surveillance tapes show the suspect to be a white male of average height and a slender build wearing a ski cap with a scarf covering his face.

The bookstore was closed at the time of the crime and presumed to be unoccupied. The investigation remains open.

Just a year prior, on Dec. 11, 2010 at about 7:15 a.m. the bookstore was held up by two gunmen and robbed for an undisclosed amount of money. While the store was closed, there was at least one employee present.

An unidentified female, who was not a student, was tied up while the store was robbed. Upon freeing herself approximately 30 minutes later, the employee contacted the police. This investigation, which Rohnert Park public safety has aided in, also remains open.

The repeat larceny the bookstore has been subjected to has some students questioning the university's security measures.

"They haven't put into place any implications to further their security and it's reflected by this repeat offense," said junior Michael Bond.

The university implemented an emergency notification system due to the increase in crime in schools, specifically because of the tragic shootings at Virginia Tech University in 2007.

However, on the day of the burglary, students were not alerted until approximately four hours after the incident occurred, which calls into question the timeliness of the "Timely Warning." In the 2010 robbery, students were alerted 45 minutes after the crime was completed.

The motives or perpetrators may never be discovered, but one student suggests the increase in larceny on campus is due to declining economic conditions.

"It's wrong, but if it's for a good cause, I can understand it. You never know how bad the person's situation is," said junior Ivan Hernandez.

While Police Services refused to discuss these cases, they do urge anyone with information to contact them at (707) 664-4444.

Steve Higginbotham, bookstore manager, also refused to comment.