After a man with previous charges of murder and kidnapping was arrested after breaking into a home near Campus Corner on Nov. 6, OU Police Department offered safety advice to students living off campus.
Raymond Hickman, 33, has been charged with breaking and entering, possessing a stolen credit card, possessing dangerous substances and public intoxication, according to charges on the Cleveland County Sheriff’s Office website. According to the case report, the crime was a burglary.
According to the arrest affidavit, Hickman allegedly broke into the home through a window to ask the residents for help and entered one of the resident’s bedrooms. The affidavit described the crime as a “burglary in progress” and does not mention anything about the stolen credit card charge.
Sarah Schettler, Norman Police Department’s public information officer, wrote in an email to OU Daily that NPD could not confirm if the home’s residents were OU students. According to the case report, five of the victims are 21, one is 18 and one is 70. KFOR reported Friday that the five 21-year-olds are OU students.
According to the affidavit, an officer at the scene said Hickman allegedly broke a window, entered the bedroom and then fled the residence. Shortly after, a broken window was reported a few blocks away, but no one entered that residence, the affidavit states.
An officer on patrol found Hickman, who matched the description of the man who broke into a home, after the second incident and arrested him just before 1 a.m.
Hickman was behaving erratically and hallucinating, repeatedly saying dogs were attacking him while in a police car, according to the affidavit. The officer who arrested him said these were signs of methamphetamine use. Police later found a pipe commonly used to smoke drugs among his belongings.
Schettler wrote that Hickman also had property associated with the theft of a purse on Nov. 1.
A criminal misdemeanor was filed on Nov. 8, but no additional details were provided.
Over the past decade, Hickman has been charged with possessing illegal drugs, kidnapping, multiple instances of robbery and aggravated assaults. In 2017, he was tried for first-degree murder, aggravated assault and battery, robbery and burglary but was acquitted.
Crime statistics from the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation show burglaries and instances of breaking and entering reported by the NPD have been decreasing slightly since 2021, when 531 instances were reported. In 2023, 423 were reported, and so far in 2024, 345 have been reported.
In Norman, an average of 7.8 burglaries has been reported weekly since January.
Lt. Chase Brooks, OUPD public information officer and criminal investigations division supervisor, gave OU students living off campus safety advice in an email to OU Daily.
Brooks recommended students share their locations with family and friends, not go places alone and avoid poorly lit areas. Additionally, he advised students to secure their homes by ensuring all doors and windows are locked.
“Doorbell cameras are becoming more affordable and accessible, which can help people identify who is at their door without having to open it and possibly endanger themselves,” Brooks wrote.
Brooks wrote keeping the porch light on at night is also a good idea because intruders are most likely to work in the dark. Students should also lock all vehicles to avoid entry using garage door openers.
“Don't hesitate to call 911 if you think that someone is prowling around your home,” Brooks wrote. “That's why we are here!”
This story was edited by Ana Barboza, Anusha Fathepure and Ismael Lele. Andrew Paredes, Avery Avery and Mary Ann Livingood copy edited this story.
