Crime & Safety
How Did West Des Moines Newspaper Carrier Lose 'A Lot' of Sunday Newspapers?
If you were missing your Sunday paper, perhaps it's some comfort to know the carrier lost a lot more.
West Des Moines residents who didn’t get their Sunday newspaper shouldn’t rush to judgment and blame the carrier.
The newspapers were stolen – “a lot” of them, according to a report on file at the West Des Moines Police Department – and so was the carrier’s minivan, a 1995 Nissan Quest.
The carrier, a 55-year-old West Des Moines woman, told Officer Stephen Becker that she was northbound in the 600 block of 13th Street about 5 a.m. Sunday when she noticed a man on a bicycle who appeared to be tracking her movements.
However, she reportedly “didn’t think much about it” and left her 1995 Nissan Quest minivan unlocked and running while she delivered papers inside a building. When she returned, she saw the man get off his bicycle and drive hr van away.
Besides her vehicle and the newspapers, she also lost her wallet and two sets of keys.
The suspect is described as being in his early 20s and having dark skin. He was reportedly wearing a gray sweatshirt and dark-colored pants.
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