This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2013, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Off-duty but nonetheless vigilant, a Salt Lake City police officer's watchfulness led to the arrest of a suspected husband-wife burglary team.

Police said the officer spotted the couple at 7:22 p.m. Sunday in the 900 block of West Signora Drive (about 700 North). The male was carrying a backpack as he walked through the neighborhood, pausing to look into the yards of area residences.

The officer called in a report and continued to observe the suspect as he entered the yard of an abandoned home. The suspect then saw the officer and allegedly confronted him with a knife and threats.

The officer backed away and the male suspect fled, passing the knife and the backpack to the female. However, responding officers quickly spotted them in a vehicle and as police pulled them over, the female allegedly tried without success to throw the knife away.

The backpack was also discovered and a search allegedly found burglary tools inside it, police said.

Both the man, 26, and woman, 22, were arrested and booked into the Salt Lake County jail. The male was being held on suspicion of third-degree felony aggravated assault and misdemeanor counts of possession of burglary tools, driving on a suspended driver's license and failure to wear a seat belt. The woman was being held on suspicion of obstructing justice.

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