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LOGAN — More arrests have been made in connection with a case involving college students allegedly stealing cemetery trees.
Just one day after three Utah State University coeds were cited for cutting down a tree from the Logan Cemetery and putting it up in their apartment as a Christmas tree, two 18-year-old USU freshmen were arrested for cutting down a second tree and doing the same thing.
Police say the two students went into the cemetery Dec. 4 and took a pine tree. An anonymous tip was called into the Murray Police Department on Thursday. They passed along the information to officials in Logan.
When the two students were confronted by Logan police Thursday night, they admitted to their crime, said Logan Assistant Police Chief Jeff Curtis.
"They were very straight forward about it," he said.
The men had already disposed of the tree. After they put it up in their apartment, their resident assistant told them it was a fire hazard and made them throw it out.
Curtis said cutting down trees for Christmas isn't as unusual as many may believe.
"We have had trees stolen in the past about this time of year. Someone sees what they think is a free Christmas tree," he said. "It's happened before. We certainly hope it doesn't happen again."
Another tree was cut down and taken from the Logan Cemetery just last year, he said.
Also stolen the same night as the second pine tree were two directory books normally left at the cemetery entrance to help visitors find grave sites. As of Friday, the books remained missing.
"The guys were very adamant they did not take the log books," Curtis said.
Both men were given citations for class B misdemeanors.
E-mail: preavy@desnews.com
