Katie Moorhead

Despite Loyola Campus Police alerts and patrols, some students are questioning how secure campus parking lots truly are. 

On the evening of Sept. 25, Grace Baraldi ‘26 discovered her black Hyundai Sonata missing from the Fitness and Aquatic Center (FAC) parking lot, where she had parked it days earlier.  

“I went to get my car, and it wasn’t there where I parked it. I walked through the lot like 20 times thinking I had missed it, but it was nowhere to be found,” Baraldi said. 

Baraldi contacted Loyola Campus Police, who responded immediately, followed by the Baltimore Police Department. Later that night, she received a call that her car had been found abandoned in East Baltimore and towed to an impound lot.  

“The next day, I went down to the impound lot and saw it was in poor condition and undriveable. It was missing a door handle, there were burn holes all over the seats and ceiling, and the battery was completely drained with no gas left,” Baraldi said. 

After the theft, Baraldi brought her car to an auto body shop, hoping it could be repaired. However, a week later, she learned the damage was too severe.  

“They said the interior damage would be too expensive to fix as they would have had to redo the entire interior,” Baraldi said.  

According to Baraldi, she received $11,000 from her insurance company to buy a new car, though it wasn’t enough to make up for the loss and damage that had been done. Without her vehicle, Baraldi now faces new challenges getting around, including figuring out how to reach places without driving, paying for more Ubers, relying on friends for rides, and ultimately needing to buy a new car. 

A week later, on Oct. 2, another incident occurred on Loyola’s campus when a student backed into a parked Honda CRV outside Newman Towers and left before police arrived. Campus police later confirmed the driver was a Loyola student. 

The car’s owner, Ryan Miller ‘27, said he was asleep when campus police officers knocked on his door. 

“They told me my car had been hit, and when I went outside, the front bumper was completely cooked. It’s the last thing you expect to deal with on a Sunday morning. You park your car and think it’s fine, then wake up to the cops knocking on your door,” Miller said. 

Since these incidents, campus police have confirmed additional motor vehicle thefts and attempted thefts near student residence halls. In an Oct. 5 email, Loyola’s Department of Public Safety reported an attempted motor vehicle theft near Campion Towers and another theft near the Gardens parking lot, close to the Dorothy Day and Claver Hall residences. 

In response to student concerns, Director of Public Safety Anthony Pluretti stated that Loyola has expanded its camera network to more than 800 across campus, including parking lots and nearby buildings.  

“We’ve increased patrols, sometimes stationing officers in lots, and we’re researching ways to further expand our surveillance network while sharing data with city police to prevent future thefts,” Pluretti said. 

According to Loyola’s Annual Security and Fire Safety Report, released on Oct. 1, many of the recent thefts have been committed on Hyundai vehicles.  

“Hyundais and Kias within certain vehicle years are the highest targeted by criminals. The activity we are seeing at Loyola is part of a national trend,” the report said. 

Pluretti acknowledged that vehicle break-ins have increased this academic year compared to previous years.

“In the past three years there were two motor vehicle thefts in 2024 and 2023 and only one in 2022. This semester, we have had three motor vehicle thefts with a fourth attempt,” Pluretti said.  

 Pluretti emphasizes that students can take steps to protect their vehicles. 

“Steering wheel locks are the best way to secure your vehicle and prevent theft. Loyola has purchased locks for Hyundai and Kia owners who can email Public Safety to pick one up. For others, we recommend buying one online for as little as $20-30. When installed correctly, criminals won’t even attempt to steal the vehicle,” Pluretti said. 

Yet, Baraldi believes Loyola should take more responsibility. 

“I paid $500 to park on campus. If we’re paying to have our cars here, they should be responsible for keeping them safe or offering some form of compensation,” Baraldi said.