The landlord of a northwest Bismarck apartment building caught a man trying to snatch underwear from a laundry room - but the man left in a waiting getaway car.

Lt. Randy Ziegler said the attempted theft was reported at 1:04 p.m. Thursday.

The landlord of the apartment building on the 400 block of West Century Avenue reported seeing the man trying to steal underwear, but the man fled when approached. The landlord followed the man outside and saw him get into a black Grand Am-like car with no license plates. A driver was waiting in the car.

The man is described as being in his early 30s, about 6 feet tall and 200 pounds. He was wearing tennis shoes, blue jeans and a Columbia jacket with a red stripe down the sleeve.

Ziegler said the landlord tracked the man's footprints, and it appears he walked around the building, stopped and looked in a window, then proceeded to the laundry room.

The attempted theft was preceded by an actual theft of underwear in the same area earlier this week. In that case, three pairs of panties and a bra were stolen from a laundry room at an apartment building on the same block, Ziegler said.

Several panty thefts were reported in apartment buildings in that area of town in October, too.

Anyone with information about the thefts should call the Bismarck Police Department at 223-1212 or Bismarck Area Crime Stoppers at 224-TIPS (224-8477).

- Jenny Michael