At least 20 cars were broken into and robbed in the D6 parking lots Sunday night.
The cars' windows were broken and any valuable items, such as computers or Global Positioning Systems (GPS), that could be seen were stolen, said Dave Chapman, assistant director for Notre Dame Security Police (NDSP).
"Basically anything of value that people can see by looking through the windows are the cars they broke into," he said. "You can break a window and take something out of a car in about five seconds."
Chapman said the cars were broken into between around 9 p.m. Sunday night and 1 a.m. Monday morning. Although security vehicles patrol campus, they were not in the D6 north or south lots during the time of the break-ins.
"We can't be everywhere all the time, unfortunately," he said.
NDSP is processing the evidence and taking fingerprints of cars in hopes to find the suspect. They are also helping students tape up their car windows and vacuum up glass, as well as directing students to shops where their cars can be repaired.
Chapman advised students not to leave valuables in the car, even if it is just a GPS base.
"If the GPS has a base on it, don't leave the base sitting on the dashboard because that tells the person there is probably a GPS sitting in the car," he said.
