LAPD holding man who broke into apartment

A suspect who broke into a student apartment earlier this week is currently being held by LAPD under charges of burglary.

At around 5 a.m. on Sept. 26, Josiah Payne, 27, broke into a student apartment on West 27th Street and fled with some belongings, according to the Department of Public Safety.

Payne seems to be suffering from a sort of mental illness, as his reportedly strange behavior was not the result of drugs. He is not affiliated with USC.

The victim of the theft and a witness said that the man entered while they were asleep and proceeded to search through kitchen cabinets.

They proceeded to lock themselves in the bathroom and call 911.

Payne was also observed carrying a knife and vandalizing a fifth-floor study room in the building.

When DPS officers reviewed a surveillance video from the apartment complex, the DPS detective sergeant recognized the suspect, who was then detained and sent for mental health evaluation. Payne is currently in the custody of LAPD. 

DPS Assistant Chief David Carlisle emphasized the importance of reporting suspicious activity to DPS, as well as taking other measures to increase safety.

“What I’d like to emphasize to students is that safety is a shared responsibility,” said DPS Assistant Chief David Carlisle. “We want students to do their part to stay safe, and that means… making sure to hide their valuables, lock their doors at night, and just take reasonable precautions to stay safe. If they see something that doesn’t seem right, [then] it probably isn’t.”