'That man was in my room for 20-plus minutes,' says Fayetteville State student who awoke to find intruder next to bed

The female student told WRAL News that she awoke at about 4:15 a.m. to find the man standing in her bedroom at University Place Apartments, across Murchison Road from campus.

The student, a senior who didn't want to be identified, said she initially thought it was her boyfriend, but as she looked at him, she realized it was a stranger.

"When he noticed I was awake, he just looked at me," she said. "We made direct eye contact, and he walked out."

Unsure if she was dreaming, she said she got out of bed and saw the door to her apartment closing. She then broke down crying and called her mother, who urged her to report the incident to police.

Police showed her a security camera photo of a man taken last week, and she told them it was the same man she saw in her room.

"Obviously, this man has done it before," she said, adding that she learned the man was found sitting in another woman's apartment and left when the woman got out of bed.

"He walked out like he did with me, like nothing happened, like this was a casual thing he does," she said.

Police said a man has been seen walking through the University Place Apartments complex checking for unlocked doors, police said.

Investigators found no signs of forced entry on the student's apartment Friday. She wasn't hurt, and she said the man didn't steal anything.

Police told the student they found security camera footage from Friday morning showing that the intruder first entered her apartment at about 3:45 a.m.

"That man was in my room for 20-plus minutes doing God knows what," she said. "If I wouldn't have woken up, I don't know what would have happened."

The student was angry that Fayetteville State police didn't notify students of the earlier incident.

"Obviously, these officers are not doing their job watching us like they're supposed to," she said. "They need to get their stuff together because I don't feel safe."

The man is described as Black with a light complexion, about 6’ feet tall with a heavy build and a beard and a mustache. He was wearing a dark-colored hooded jacket, a red shirt and dark-colored pants.

Anyone who can identify the man is asked to call the Fayetteville State police non-emergency line at 910-672-1775 or the emergency line at 910-672-1911, the Fayetteville Police Department at 910-433-1529 or Crime Stoppers at 910-483-8477.

Fayetteville State police advised students, faculty, staff and visitors to always lock their doors and windows and ensure that their doors are completely closed when they go inside and provided other safety tips: