Man Banned from All Hy-Vee Stores After Attempted Theft of Cases of Coca-Cola

A Des Moines man won't see a "helpful smile in every aisle" after he was banned indefinitely from all Hy-Vee properties.

The cause was the man's suspected role in an attempted theft at the 1990 Grand Ave. grocery store, according to a West Des Moines Police report. The man is suspected by police and Hy-Vee Food Store employees of helping a woman who tried to steal $124.64 in Coca-Cola products.

Police officer Blain Brinkmeyer was sent to the Grand Avenue Hy-Vee April 6 on a report of possible shoplifting by a woman. A Hy-Vee supervisor had noticed a woman pushing a grocery cart loaded with Coca-Cola products.

The Hy-Vee employee believed the woman didn’t pay for the merchandise and asked to see a receipt. The woman told the supervisor that she was not given a receipt and continued pushing her cart toward the parking lot. When asked which cash register the woman used she told the Hy-Vee supervisor she didn’t remember and continued toward a gold 1998 Chevrolet Cavalier driven by a Des Moines man.

Brinkmeyer said the man was cooperative, telling Hy-Vee managers that he received a phone call from the woman, who asked him for a ride to Hy-Vee after she received her EBT allotment.

All items were returned to the store, which included six cases of Coke Classic, nine cases of Diet Coke and one case of Sprite. Total value was $124.64, the police report said.

The Des Moines man was banned from all Hy-Vee properties indefinitely, the report said.