Nuts and Bolts in Parking Lot Lead to Startling Discovery: Police Blotter

An Urbandale woman who works at a West Des Moines restaurant got a surprise when she went to her car after her shift ended last week, according to a report on file at the West Des Moines Police Department.

The 37-year-old Urbandale woman said that when her shift ended at Panera Bread, 6740 University Ave. in West Des Moines, her 2004 Honda SUV was “extremely noisy” when she tried to start it, so she decided not to drive it.

Mystified, she returned to the restaurant.

A short time later, a co-worker who had parked nearby discovered some clues about the mysterious noise – a pile of nuts and bolts near the vehicle.

The SUV was towed to a nearby Honda dealership, where mechanics discovered the catalytic converter had been stolen. An oxygen sensor also was damaged during the theft, resulting in $1,500 in repair costs, according to the report.