Man charged for stealing women’s underwear also accused of breaking into cars
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IDAHO FALLS — A man caught on camera stealing women’s underwear told investigators he is not a sexual deviant but wanted to crossdress, police say.
The investigation into 29-year-old Jayson L. Ball began on Aug. 8 when Fremont County Sheriff deputies arrived at the Sawtelle Mountain Resort in Island Park for a report of a vehicle burglary. According to court documents obtained by EastIdahoNews.com, Ball is also tied to the theft of underwear the day before in Idaho Falls.
While at the resort, investigators found a Kia with shattered windows. Deputies discovered another vehicle at the SpringHill Suites nearby that also had broken windows.
The owner of the Kia reported $1,300 worth of clothing taken from the car in suitcases and a Victoria’s Secret bag was missing. Several items of clothing and the suitcases were later found abandoned on U.S. Highway 20.
After reviewing surveillance footage, detectives ran the plate of a 1994 GMC truck registered to Ball. Investigators learned he was recently on probation in Utah until he moved to Idaho. Ball’s probation officer told detectives the man had a history of burlgary and using narcotics.
Detectives stopped by Ball’s home in Ririe weeks later to interview him. According to court documents, Ball told Fremont County investigators that he was running short on cash and thought he could find some in the cars. He described how he broke into the vehicles to get gas for the trip back home.
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As investigators in Fremont County were solving the car burglaries, the Idaho Falls Police Department received a call from the manager of Shadow Canyon apartments on Hoopes Avenue. The manager told police that over several weeks, he received complaints from tenants that their clothes were missing from the dyers. Most of the clothing missing was women’s underwear.
One of the incidents was caught on camera and posted on EastIdahoNews.com. The video shows a man wearing a bright construction vest walking into the laundry room on Aug. 7. The man goes over to the dryer, opens the doors, takes several pairs of women’s underwear and shoves them down his pants.
An officer assigned to follow up on the case was familiar with the news story and saw multiple Facebook comments that identified the man in the video as Ball. Police then reached out to him.
During an interview, Ball allegedly reassured the officer that he wasn’t a sexual deviant and that he uses the underwear for crossdressing. The officer said Ball explained that he is embarrassed to go into stores and purchase women’s underwear.
The officer explained there is nothing wrong with crossdressing but the problem comes with stealing underwear. Ball agreed and said he wanted the victim to know he wasn’t targeting her. Ball also had said he threw away the underwear afterward.
Ball is charged in Fremont County with two felony counts of burglary, two misdemeanor counts of petty theft and two misdemeanor counts of malicious injury to property. In Bonneville County, Ball is charged with a single count of petty theft.
He is scheduled for a preliminary hearing in Fremont County on Wednesday and a pretrial conference is set in Bonneville County for Dec. 3.