Police suspect an underwear thief who targeted two U students and a woman in the Residence Halls last summer has struck again, and this time they are asking for the public’s help to catch him.
In the past six months, there have been at least four reported cases of a man breaking into college-age women’s homes or apartments near the U at night to steal their underwear while they sleep. The Salt Lake City Police Department is asking the public to keep an eye out and call them about any information that could lead to his capture.
The fourth episode, which sparked the official search for the underwear thief, was Sunday morning. Rebecca Muehle, a sophomore in business, said her roommate woke up to find a man lying next to her bed. When the roommate tripped over him as she got out of bed to turn on the light and confront the intruder, he ran out of their apartment at Emerson Avenue near East High School, taking Muehle’s roommate’s bras with him, police said.
“If I had seen him myself, I would have Tased him,” Muehle said. “I have a Taser.”
They called police, but officers didn’t catch anyone or recover the bras. Muehle lives with four other college-age students from other schools. It doesn’t appear that he broke in, since there were no signs of forced entry and the dead bolt on the front door wasn’t locked, according to the police. Muehle said the women locked at least the doorknob.
The man is described as white, in his 30s, well-built and about 6-foot-3-inches with short hair. He was also wearing a tan coat and blue jogging pants, police said.
Police believe the same man struck at least three other times near the U.
A man broke into the Sugar House apartment of two female U students in October. Madeline Clawson, an undeclared junior, woke up when the man began to rub her feet and leg while she slept, she said. He ran out with her jeans and underwear, but Clawson and her roommate, junior pre-nursing student Jayme Jensen, along with an officer, spotted him as he tried to steal the underwear from the neighboring house, according to SLCPD.
The first known incident was last June. A woman staying at Benchmark Plaza Building 821 in the U Residence Halls for a conference awoke to a man in her room who had rifled through her underwear drawer, according to the U Police. He ran, but apparently didn’t get away with any of her undergarments, police said.
There hasn’t been any physical harm in any of the cases.
“I’m just glad no one was hurt and that he didn’t try to do anything else while we were sleeping,” Muehle said.
Muehle said she and her roommates have been sure to lock the door completely since Sunday’s intrusion. Police want residents living near the U to do the same, report anyone suspicious and call with any information they have as to the identity of the underwear thief.
The thief might lie low for a while as his description, M.O. and crimes become public and law enforcement ask the public to look for him, said SLCPD Det. Pat Wilkinson.
“People who commit these types of crimes usually have issues and might do it again,” he said. “It’s definitely not normal behavior.”
If he’s caught, the thief would be facing felony burglary charges.