University Police Department officers arrested two women near Ivory Tower Friday for allegedly entering several unlocked rooms in a nearby hall.

Police did not catch the third suspect – last seen leaving Fulbright Hall – who officers believe stole a MacBook Pro, according to a Safety and Security Alert.

The three suspects entered Fulbright by following a resident and then opening unlocked doors, asking for “Erica” or “Eric.” Students told officers that the women entered a total of five rooms, University spokeswoman Michelle Sherrard wrote in an email. The student whose laptop was stolen said he was asleep when his room was broken into.

Students alerted UPD to the women Friday afternoon, and officers arrived as the suspects tried to flee.

Residence hall thefts saw an uptick earlier this semester when at least 10 electronic items were stolen from unlocked rooms in three halls. University Police Chief Kevin Hay said then that students should be more vigilant, keep doors closed from strangers and prevent people from “tailgating” into their halls.

When asked which residence halls were guarded and at what times of the day, Hay declined to comment, though he released that information in fall 2011. He added that the level of deployments changes occasionally, like when GW amp up its police force around inauguration last month.

Tiana Pigford, Aaron Goodtree, Colleen Murphy and Robert Todaro contributed to this report