Thefts at NIU last week left visiting cheerleaders with not so much to cheer about.

There are still no leads on the thefts at Grant Towers North last week where a total of $687 was stolen from high school girls participating in a cheerleading camp at NIU, said University Police Sgt. Ralph Taylor.

“At this point we have nothing to go on,” Taylor said. There seem to be no witnesses to the incident, he said.

“We don’t even have a description,” he said.

eportedly the thief sneaked into 12 rooms in the “D” wing in the towers between 11:30 a.m. and 6 p.m., he said.

The 16 girls were out of the residence hall all day for drills run by the “Showstoppers” cheerleading camp, he said.

Evidence indicates that the thief probably knew he had the wing to himself. The intruder took time to search through wallets, purses and drawers.

“He had all afternoon to go through peoples’ belongings,” Taylor said.

Officials at Grant Towers have tightened security at the hall, said Kurt Johnson, assistant manager of NIU’s summer conference center.

Although the cheerleaders left last Thursday, there are still other residents remaining in the building for the summer.

“We are taking this very seriously,” Johnson said.

Sgt. Taylor said “the UPs are spending quite a bit of time over there (Grant Towers).”

Some of the victims told police that they had locked their doors before practice, Taylor said.

“This means it is possible that the thief could have had a master key or have obtained access to one,” he said.

It is hard to tell if the thief already had a key or obtained one because all janitors, maintenance workers, dormitory staff and residence advisers have access to keys, he said.

Money was the only item reported stolen from the rooms.

Similar thefts have been reported earlier this month by residents of Grant Towers South, Taylor said.

He said the incident has been reported to Crimestoppers and anyone with information about the incident can call the NIU Police Department at 753-1212.

At this point we have nothing to go on …. We don’t even have a description.”