A burglar left a broken window and scuff marks on an exterior wall after breaking into University student Rachel Melena’s Marcy-Holmes duplex on Tuesday evening.

Early Wednesday morning, Melena came home to find several thousand dollars worth of property stolen and the house that she shares with two roommates ransacked.

Minneapolis police said that the burglar entered the house through Melena’s second-floor bedroom window while the roommates were not home.

A downstairs neighbor said he heard noises but did not think too much of it.

“It’s really creepy that someone was in (the house) going through our stuff,” Melena said.

Nicole Nelson, Minneapolis Police Department crime prevention specialist, said second-floor break-ins are just as common as first-floor break-ins.

“Living on the second floor does not exempt (people) from being a victim,” she said.

People who live on the second floor of an apartment or duplex should make sure there are no ladders, garbage cans or chairs lying around that a burglar could use to gain entry into a house, Nelson said.

Minneapolis police officer Ron Reier said it is a felony any time a person breaks into a house with the intent to commit a crime.

Though it is safe to assume that serious criminals commit serious felonies such as burglary, he said, there is a good chance the burglar will be caught.

Evidence typically left behind at a crime scene includes fingerprints, hair and other forms of DNA, he said.

“People who commit these crimes also talk,” Reier said. “That’s how we catch a lot of them.”

In the meantime, Melena said she is taking extra precautions for her safety and her roommates safety.

“I felt safe before (the burglary); not so much anymore,” she said.

Melena said she plans to sleep elsewhere or have a male friend stay with her and her roommates.