Suspect arrested in attempted burglary of TCU student’s off-campus apartment, police say
Fort Worth police have arrested a 25-year-old man on suspicion of attempted burglary after authorities said he was seen trying to break into a student’s residence south of the TCU campus, according to a news release.
Alex Alvarez, 25, was arrested Wednesday and faces a charge of attempted burglary of a residence. Police allege he and another man tried to break into a TCU student’s home near the 3100 block of Sandage Avenue early Sunday morning. TCU police said one of the men was believed to have been carrying a gun during the attempted break-in, according to surveillance video.
Alvarez also faces charges of burglary of a habitation and unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon after police said that early on the morning of Feb. 7 he walked around the neighborhood trying to open back doors and eventually went around to the front of a home and tried to open that door, according to a police report. Someone who lives in the home reported hearing Alvarez scream “I need help” and mumble something about gangs.
Police said Alvarez ended up stealing some tennis shoes off the front porch and then leaving in the Feb. 7 incident.
In the investigation of Sunday’s attempted burglary, Alvarez was seen on Ring security camera footage from the home that helped police identify and arrest him, according to the news release.
TCU police said in a social media post about the attempted break-in that a man tried to open the back door of a woman’s apartment around 4 a.m. on Sunday.
The post came less than two weeks after TCU police warned of a nighttime prowler or prowlers in neighborhoods south of campus. According to a separate social media post, no crimes were reported in those incidents but police wanted students to call 911 if they saw anything suspicious.
Fort Worth police said they worked with authorities with TCU’s department to make the arrest. The video “proved to be incredibly helpful with the investigation and subsequently led to the apprehension of Alvarez,” police said.
Residents told the Star-Telegram they haven’t felt safe in the neighborhood around the 3100 block of Sandage for some time. Items left in back yards of the houses, which have been largely converted into apartments for fraternity and sororities, are regularly stolen, students said. Some said they chain their grills and propane tanks to the buildings to prevent them from being stolen.
The attempted burglary was a breaking point for some — students said they and their parents worked together to hire private security to patrol the alley behind the homes at night.
Fort Worth and university police said that investigators are continuing to pursue leads and they expect more arrests and charges in the ongoing investigation of crimes in the TCU area.
This story was originally published February 29, 2024 at 11:28 AM.