Custodian broke into Carnegie Mellon students' rooms and stole wallets, police say

A custodian at Carnegie Mellon University is charged with breaking into students' dorm rooms and stealing their wallets.

According to court paperwork, 29-year-old Blaney Rhode is facing several charges, including burglary, theft by unlawful taking and access device fraud after a string of break-ins at the school.

From March 24 to March 31, police said Rhode, a temporary custodian working with a third-party vendor contracted by Carnegie Mellon University, went into students' rooms and stole things like wallets, a watch and cash. 

"I imagine most people have very friendly relationships with their custodians and have very casual conversations, ask about their families and everything," said a student named Catherine. "It's very shocking, kind of like a breach of trust in my mind." 

Police said Rhode used stolen credit cards to make fraudulent purchases at businesses like dispensaries and smoke shops, Dollar Tree and Burger King.

Investigators said they obtained surveillance footage showing Rhode at a dispensary where a stolen card was used, and a stolen wallet with an Apple AirTag was tracked back to his home. Police said card access records also linked Rhode to the burglaries. 

"Since this is school property, they should be able to trust the school with their custodial staff, so I think anything the custodial staff breaks or steals, the school should be charged for it," a student named Chandler said. 

Rhode was arrested after the Carnegie Mellon University Police Department put out a "be on the lookout" alert for him. He was taken into custody, and investigators said Rhode admitted to the burglaries, saying he was "struggling financially."

Court paperwork shows that Rhode has a preliminary hearing scheduled for April 20 at 10 a.m. 

KDKA reached out to Carnegie Mellon University for comment but didn't hear back.