Jen Lassen
News Editor
A 21-year-old Lewisburg man was recently found and arrested by Buffalo Valley Regional Police after breaking into University students’ homes through an iPhone GPS tracking device app.
Tristan Swigart of Lewisburg was charged with burglary, criminal trespass, theft, loitering and prowling and criminal mischief.
On Sept. 15, police said that four University students reported a break-in at their apartment on 31 South Sixth Street. Three of the occupants were sleeping upstairs, but the fourth roommate was not home at the time.
Taken from the house was a 32-inch flat-screen television, a DVD player, a bottle of Three Olive vodka, a bottle of wine and a bottle of champagne.
Also, a student living at 108 S. Sixth St. previously reported that someone stole a TV, an iPhone and two MacBooks from her. She said she had GPS tracking software that indicated her iPhone had been taken to 113 North Third Street where the culprit was eventually found and arrested.
All tenants of both 31 South Sixth Street and 108 South Sixth Street were unable to comment on the case due to legal concerns.
“We always made sure to keep the doors locked before, but the burglars went through our living room window so we immediately made sure all of our windows were locked, and we keep the blinds drawn at all times. We also don’t leave anything of value in our living room. It was kind of scary, but I still feel pretty safe living downtown because I know we always have our doors locked. Other students downtown may not follow the same procedure as we do of locking their doors and windows, but I think everyone definitely should,” an anonymous student living nearby downtown said.