Crime & Safety

Thieves Scoop Up Hundreds of Dollars Worth of Loose Change: West Des Moines Police Blotter

Authorities notice a pattern in burglaries around town.

Thieves got away with several hundred dollars in change in a rash of burglaries to soda vending machines around West Des Moines and the metro area, according to police reports.

On Sunday, maintenance employees said at least five Pepsi vending machines were damaged and the money inside them stolen from the West Des Moines Marriott, 1250 Jordan Creek Pkwy. The burglars apparently drilled holes in the machines to access the coin boxes.

Tom Johnson, a market equipment supervisor for Pepsi, reported that several machines in the Drury Inn & Suites at 5501 Mills Civic Pkwy. were broken into. When full, they hold up to $74 in coins. The machines appeared to have been broken into by the same means as those at the Marriott.

Earlier in the month, Atlantic Bottling Co. of Waukee reported $500 damage to a machine at the Tuffy Auto Service Center at 2135 Grand Ave.

About $1,000 was stolen in several vending machine thefts around the metro area in recent days, according to the police report. The Atlantic Bottling representative said the machines had been burglarized in the same manner.

The investigation into the theft is continuing.


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