Burglar Takes TV, Computer, Jewelry and Pillowcase: West Des Moines Police Blotter

A chair jammed against the front door inside their apartment tipped off West Des Moines residents that their resident had been burglarized Friday.

The couple came home around 5 p.m. to find the front door locked and a chair jammed against it from the inside. They called police, who went into the apartment, but found no intruders, according to a report.

Police found the apartment's sliding glass door unlocked and a security bar was moved from the door track. The couple said they were sure that when they left in the morning all locks were in place.

Officers said both bedrooms had been ransacked and the TV was missing from the living room. No good fingerprints were obtained by investigators and there were no signs of forced entry. 

Items taken were: an HP computer valued at $1,200; Sony PlayStation 3 valued at $250; a Nintendo Wii valued at $150; a 41-inch Samsung TV valued at $1,200; jewelry including a men’s wedding ring, Movado watch, and a topaz ring, earrings and necklace set valued at $800; an Apple iPhone worth $100; and a pillowcase worth $25.

The residents told police they had problems with the maintenance workers in their apartment in the past, which included the workers not locking the door after they left.

Two maintenance workers asked police on the scene if they could help. The workers told officers they hadn’t seen anyone enter the apartment that day and didn’t enter unless the renters were home.