After returning from work to find his Clearfield home burglarized three times in the past three months, it's the missing underwear that has Michael Larsen concerned.
The stolen PlayStation 2 and his son's missing motocross gear are frustrating. But Larsen said the burglar has had his hand in the hamper and family photo albums, stealing pictures of his 17-year-old daughter, a cheerleader at Clearfield High School, and taking his 20-year-old daughter's underwear.
That, he said, is the real cause for alarm.
"Both of my daughters, they don't want to sleep in their rooms," he said. "We want to catch this guy before things get worse off."
Clearfield Assistant Chief Greg Krusi said the nature of the items that have been stolen is unusual and has police worried.
"He's not taking televisions, he's taking personal items," Krusi said. "That's what has us a bit more alarmed than a standard burglary."
All three burglaries have occurred about a month apart, and all three have occurred during the daytime when the family is at work and school, Larsen said.
After the second burglary, Larsen installed a video-surveillance system in his home for security. The black-and-white footage is grainy and shows angles from three cameras in 3-second intervals. But Larsen is hoping the video might lead to the burglar's capture.
So far, however, the film has produced no new leads.
"The kids don't recognize him," Larsen said. "The detectives have been out, they put the video on DVD. They're showing it around to different schools, but so far nobody recognizes him."
In addition to showing the tape in local schools, Krusi said Clearfield police have shown the tape to clergy, neighbors and convenience store clerks.
The person in the video is a white male with light hair, Larsen said. He appears to be about 5 feet 8 inches tall and police believe he is about 17 years old.
The Clearfield Police Department is offering a cash reward for any information leading to the burglar's arrest. Anyone with information should contact the department at 801-525-2806.
In the meantime, Larsen said his family is taking extra security precautions, including installing new dead-bolts on the doors, making sure doors are secured and putting sticks in the windows to keep them from being opened.
"And I'm thinking about getting a big, mean dog," he said.
E-mail: afaulk@desnews.com