A man with three active warrants for his arrest allegedly tried Tuesday to steal an unattended purse and rummaged through an office in 216 Tremont St. before fleeing arrest, police said.

Emerson police officers entered the building at 1:45 p.m. after an employee saw the man, whose name has not been released, in her office removing personal items from a student’s purse. When the employee asked the man why he was in her office, he said he was looking for a pen, according to an email from Andrew Tiedemann, a spokesman for the college.

The man fled on foot before Emerson police officers could arrest him, according to the department’s crime log.

The Boston Police Department helped search for the suspect but was unable to locate him, the log said.

Emerson police located some of the stolen items, and returned them to a student, according to the log. 

Officers on duty Wednesday night declined to comment. Interim Chief Scott Bornstein could not be reached for immediate comment. 

A Boston police spokeswoman declined to comment and said there was no report filed after the incident.

In a mass, college-wide email, Tiedemann advised the Emerson community to be alert of unknown people in on-campus buildings, be careful of personal belongings, and never to leave these items unattended. 

He also advised students and staff to contact the public safety department at 617-824-8888 if they see anything suspicious.