Two Boone High School seniors were arrested this weekend for stealing women’s underwear from the three university laundry rooms, Department of Public Safety officials said.

Mark Alan Millard, 18, along with Jeremy Fredrick Tilley, 18, were charged with fifth-degree theft after police officers found them possessing 19 pairs of women’s underwear around 1 a.m. Sunday, said Jerry Stewart, associate director of DPS.

Stewart said the men were pulled over for a simple traffic violation in the 200th block of Welch Avenue by an Ames police officer. The officer told DPS that when he approached the vehicle the men were acting in a “suspicious manner and were trying to hide something,” Stewart said.

The officer found the underwear in the vehicle and turned the case over to DPS, Stewart said.

It was later discovered that the garments were taken from three ISU laundromats in the Towers Residence Association complex.

The men were released from DPS on their promise to appear in court at a later date, Stewart said.

Stewart said he was concerned about the ease in which the suspects were able to get into the buildings. He said the men entered other areas of the buildings aside from the laundry areas.

“It appears they had no difficulty getting access into each of the buildings,” he said. “Whether they followed someone in, or they had an allowed entry, I don’t know.”

Stewart said this case was not of great severity, but ISU residents should be cautious of people on their floor.

“While individuals may find this case humorous,” he said, “it would have been different if computer or electronic equipment was taken.”

Loras Jaeger, director of DPS, said this incident was a product of a teenage prank.

“All indications show that this was done on some sort of dare,” he said. “Occasionally, we deal with someone who has a fetish, but in this case it appears to be a prank.”