Police in Colorado are looking for a man who stole nearly $30,000 worth of underwear over two years from the laundry rooms of an apartment complex.
The Lakewood Police Department said it issued felony arrest warrants for 39-year-old Hugo Salazar Hernandez on several counts of burglary and theft. Cops say Hernandez entered the Lakeview Towers apartment complex dozens of times despite not living there and went into the laundry rooms to steal women’s lingerie panties and bras between August 2021 and May 2023. He also allegedly stole children’s underwear. There are over 30 victims ranging in age from 6 to 69, according to police. The apartment complex is located in Lakewood, which is a suburb of Denver.
A search warrant on Hernandez’s home yielded over 500 pieces of evidence, much of it belonging to the victims. Hernandez’s whereabouts are unknown.
“What kind of motive are we dealing with? Is it for sexual gratification and if it is will that motivation continue to increase?” Lakewood police Agent Paul Osckel told Denver Fox affiliate KDVR in July when cops were still trying to identify the suspect.
Residents told the TV station that police put out flyers around the complex with Salazar Hernandez’s photos from surveillance cameras urging anyone with information to come forward. They would like to see the suspect arrested. One resident said he was thinking twice about what clothing items he was using in the laundry rooms.
“I’ll just try to keep my underwear to myself, take it some other place,” one resident said.
Salazar Hernandez drives a black Audi A5 with no visible registration.
Anyone with information is asked to call 911 or Metro Denver CrimeStoppers at (720) 913-STOP.
Have a tip we should know? [email protected]