Ogden, UT — Aaron Brewer, the man accused of a series of burglaries at storage units across southern Utah, now faces even more serious charges after investigators in Washington City linked him to at least 80 additional break-ins.
Brewer, who was arrested in November, had already been charged with 24 counts of burglary, theft, and related offenses. The new charges, announced this week, include two counts of burglary and theft following break-ins at Towne Storage and Majestic Hills Self Storage in Washington City. Authorities believe his crime spree began as early as September, leaving a trail of damaged property and dozens of victims.
According to police reports, Brewer targeted several storage facilities by cutting or climbing over fences to gain access. Once inside, he used tools like bolt cutters and a grinder to break into storage units, often focusing on high-value items that were easy to carry, such as gold coins, firearms, electronics, and watches. In at least one instance, Brewer placed his own lock on a unit, intending to return later and retrieve the stolen items.
Tayton Young, the owner of Majestic Hills Self Storage, described the impact of Brewer’s actions on his newly opened facility. “We just opened, so we only had about 20 units rented out. All 20 of them were broken into,” Young said. “It’s something we didn’t know was such a common thing.”
The crimes have left victims like Aaron Tuttle shaken. Tuttle, who stored personal belongings in a unit at the Majestic Hills facility, discovered in October that his lock had been replaced with a different one. After calling a locksmith to open the unit, Tuttle found his items scattered, with thousands of dollars’ worth of valuables, including important family documents and electronics, missing. Though a few items, including two laptops and a truck key, have been recovered, much of the stolen property remains unaccounted for.
“You think a storage unit with walls, gates, cameras, and locks will keep your stuff safe. But this guy wreaked havoc here in southern Utah,” Tuttle said. “It’s hard not to feel violated.”
In an effort to prevent future break-ins, Young upgraded the security system at Majestic Hills, adding more cameras, flashing lights, and audio warnings that alert intruders they are being recorded. “Now every angle is covered,” Young said, emphasizing the importance of protecting his customers’ property.
Brewer’s arrest followed a break in at St. George Storage, where the facility owner managed to photograph Brewer in the act and capture his license plate. Police later found Brewer in possession of stolen items, bolt cutters, and clothing matching descriptions from surveillance footage at several other facilities. Investigators are continuing to work to match the recovered items with their rightful owners, and they believe there may be additional victims who have yet to come forward.
The list of affected facilities includes not only Majestic Hills and Towne Storage in Washington City, but also several locations in St. George, including Pioneer Boys, Big Bens Moving, Extra Space Storage, PM Storage, Lee’s Self Storage, and St. George Storage.
Brewer, who faces multiple charges, is scheduled for a review hearing on December 17 at the 5th District Courthouse in St. George. Authorities have not ruled out the possibility that Brewer may be linked to even more burglaries as the investigation continues.