A car was stolen and several others were broken into near Davidson Park on March 17 after students left their vehicles unlocked — a pattern tied to Washington and Lee’s trust in the honor system.
Several vehicles were broken into late Monday night in the Davidson lot and along East Nelson Street. In each case, the vehicles had been left unlocked, according to a campus-wide email from Public Safety Interim Director Alex Rabar. The email confirmed four vehicle break-ins and one car theft.
Tyler Spano, ’27, a Davidson Park resident, said the number was much higher.
“We realized quickly that all the cars in the Davidson lot that were unlocked had been broken into,” Spano said, estimating that more than 15 cars were entered that night.
Detective Sgt. Jessica Burks of the Lexington Police Department said she believes 13 of the vehicles belonged to W&L students based on where they were parked. But she said there were possibly more break-ins that may have involved city residents on the Nelson Street corridor.
Burks declined to comment on the location or identity of the suspect, citing the nature of the ongoing investigation. The Lexington Police Department posted a photo of a “person of interest in multiple thefts from motor vehicles” on Facebook on March 19, asking community members to help identify him.
Spano said he discovered his own car had been broken into early Tuesday morning.
“My car door was left ajar and the contents of my center console were just scrambled all throughout the car,” he said.
Spano said about $100 cash was stolen from his wallet, though other valuables, including credit cards and golf clubs, were left untouched. He also said that Harrison Hanson’s vehicle, parked nearby, was stolen but later found near Virginia Military Institute’s athletic fields. Burks declined to confirm that detail, citing the ongoing investigation.
Spano, who typically always locks his car, said he left it unsecured that night. “It was probably one of the only nights I hadn’t locked my car all year,” he said.
He believes the break-ins are a reminder that students sometimes rely too heavily on the culture of trust fostered by Washington and Lee’s honor system.
“I still think Lexington is a really safe area,” Spano said. “But this is a good reminder that double-checking that you’ve locked your door can go a long way.”
Meaghan Endres, ’26, said the situation highlights what she sees as a common mindset on campus.
Endres, who grew up in New York and whose father is a police officer, said locking her car is second nature. “I would never in a million years think of leaving my car unlocked,” she said.
“I think people get way too comfortable sometimes,” Endres said. “People sometimes forget that the honor system doesn’t really apply to anyone outside of the W&L community.”
Public Safety and Lexington Police said they are increasing patrols and encouraging students to secure their property.
“While Washington and Lee University and the City of Lexington are relatively safe communities, it is essential that we remain proactive in protecting our property and each other,” Rabar wrote in the email.
Motor vehicle theft is rare in Lexington, with just two cases reported citywide in 2024, Burks said. According to the police department’s 2022 annual report, there were six reported incidents of larceny from a motor vehicle.
For Spano, the takeaway is simple.
“At the end of the day, pretty much everyone who got broken into had left their car doors unlocked,” he said. “It’s a simple precaution that could’ve prevented this pretty easily.”
