Orem man arrested in 'Logan Lurker' case

LOGAN — A man thought to be the "Logan Lurker," suspected of committing more than two dozen area burglaries, was arrested Thursday.

Police had been looking for a burglar since his activities escalated following a December burglary, which was believed to be his first, said Logan Police Capt. Jeff Curtis.

The man, who received his nickname from Utah State University coeds, primarily targeted off-campus housing units near the USU campus and entered dwellings through unlocked doors.

The intruder primarily stole electronic items such as laptops, video gaming systems, mp3 players and TVs as large as 52 inches. He also took whatever cash he could find, police said.

"He would go in their rooms and take stuff," Curtis said. "If they woke up and confronted him, he just acted like he was looking for somebody" and would leave.

Thursday's arrest came after someone called police about 4 a.m. to report a burglary. Curtis said officers responded immediately and brought K-9s to track the man.

Footprints in the snow and police dogs led them to the apartment of Lisa Tobias, who said she had no idea anyone had been inside her home before she heard police pounding on her door just before 5 a.m.

"(The police) tell us that they'd been following him and his tracks led right to our door," she said. "He sliced the kitchen window screen. … He used our kitchen knife to do it and turned on the fan."

Tobias said she has heard from other students that the "Logan Lurker" would sometimes turn up the heat or turn on a fan to cover up any noises he might make. He took items from the only room that was unoccupied when he entered her apartment, she said.

The burglar rifled through drawers and a purse and stole an iPod that police were later able to recover. Though Curtis said the man was not violent and wasn't known to threaten anyone, Tobias said the incident was disturbing for the young women in the apartment.

"I was freaking out," she said. "I was shaking. I was sick to my stomach. All my roommates were freaked out the whole day."

Police believe the man burglarized some apartment buildings a number of times, but the area he hit the most was near 800 East and 1000 North.

He "fanned out a little" but mostly stayed in that area, Curtis said. A "small amount" of the stolen property has been recovered in Utah County.

Aaron Foote, 32, of Orem, was booked into the Cache County Jail for investigation of burglary and a parole violation.

Foote has an extensive criminal history including charges of theft, voyeurism and a number of past burglary charges. Charges of criminal mischief and burglary of a dwelling in Cedar City were dismissed.

e-mail: emorgan@desnews.com