Two men were arrested and charged with first-degree burglary and theft over spring break in connection with two March 13 burglaries from apartments in South Campus Commons 3 and 4.

Devin Lamar Jackson, 21, was arrested at his Upper Marlboro home on March 19; the following day, detectives arrested Anthony Michael Fields Jr., 19, at his home in Clinton. Both were arrested without incident, police said.

Neither man is affiliated with the university.

“The Criminal Investigations Unit’s vigorous pursuit of these offenders using various advanced investigative techniques led to the quick closure of these burglary cases,” University Police wrote in a press release.

“It’s a big boost for our detectives,” University Police Chief David Mitchell said. “They worked hard on this case.”

The men allegedly entered two first-floor apartments through open or unlocked windows and made off with residents’ belongings, police said.

In the first incident, property disappeared from Commons 4 during an overnight fire drill; the second incident occurred later that morning when the Commons 3 resident wasn’t home, police said.

Jackson and Fields were each arrested and charged in connection with both incidents, police said. They were released on bond Tuesday and their preliminary hearings are scheduled for April 15 in Hyattsville District Court.

Police wouldn’t release the specifics of what was stolen from the two apartments, but said students have been reunited with most of their belongings.

“Some of it was recovered,” University Police spokesman Sgt. Ken Leonard said. “But we still have some outstanding property that we’re looking for.”

University Police identified both suspects from surveillance footage taken by cameras on the campus and at nearby businesses, police said. Officials credited this footage as a major factor in the arrests.

“The security cameras played an integral role in the investigation,” Leonard said. “We did receive some tips, but our detectives were able to figure it out before those tips came in.”

Even though the two men are unaffiliated with the university, some students feel more comfortable now that the arrests have been made.

“I feel much safer on campus knowing that, while I’m gone from my apartment, it won’t get broken into,” sophomore animal sciences major Jason Marko said.

Neither suspect has a prior history of burglary charges in Maryland, though both have a large roster of traffic citations. Jackson was charged with second-degree assault last fall, although he was not prosecuted, according to court records.

egan at umdbk dot com