Two suspects identified as naval personnel have been apprehended in connection with Saturday morning’s burglaries at Campus Town East Apartments.

Two burglaries occurred between 3 and 4 a.m. after the suspects allegedly gained access from the building’s 16th Street entrance. They followed an individual who used an ID to access the building — a practice referred to as “tailgating,” according to a notice sent to residents of University Apartments.

Milwaukee Police Department officers detained the male suspects after a traffic stop near the corner of 15th and Wells streets on Saturday around 2 p.m. Both of the suspects admitted to being stationed at the Great Lakes Naval Station in Great Lakes, Illinois.

The two suspects hold the ranks of seaman and seaman apprentice, said Matt Mogle, the public affairs officer for the naval station.

A student first contacted the Department of Public Safety on Saturday to report his laptop had been removed from his apartment. At the time of the burglary, the student was in his apartment and the door was unlocked. Later that morning, a second student called DPS to report property missing.

Dispatchers for DPS reviewed hours of surveillance camera footage and were able to capture images of one of the suspects who supposedly helped commit the burglaries. Also, dispatchers were able to identify a white truck used by the suspects, according to Capt. Russell Shaw, associate director of DPS.

MPD identified a vehicle matching the description DPS had issued, reviewed the videotape DPS had captured and confirmed the vehicle was a match. The driver of the truck was later identified as the man on the captured images.

After MPD questioned the two men at the scene, another suspect, who was initially detained, was released after it was determined he had no involvement in the burglaries.

An MPD detective investigating the case contacted the police department at the naval station, where most of the stolen property was recovered.

Students living in Campus Town were notified of the incident via e-mail Monday afternoon. Dan Bergen, the area coordinator for University Apartments, wrote that students should try to prevent “tailgating” as much as possible and avoid holding large parties to prevent the admittance of unfamiliar individuals into apartment buildings.

DPS recommends that all students secure their doors at night in order to prevent similar incidents in the future.