AWOL Army man arrested in burglary

COTTONWOOD HEIGHTS — A man wanted by the U.S. Army for going AWOL — twice — and by local police in connection with a string of burglaries, was arrested Wednesday night.

"We've been looking for him. He's involved in a theft a couple of months ago of a $5,000 ring and then burglarizing his parents' house a week ago," said Cottonwood Heights police officer Beau Babka.

Cole Hammond Passey, 19, was found at a friend's house and arrested. Passey went AWOL from the Army in November, was found and went back, and then went AWOL again, Babka said.

Passey was booked into the Salt Lake County Jail for investigation of burglary and two counts of theft from a building, and he had a military hold placed on him.

Detectives have been looking at Passey as a possible suspect in several recent burglaries, Babka said.

— Pat Reavy