Woman Arrested for Allegedly Scaling Apartment Wall, Raising a Ruckus

Police took a 20-year-old West Des Moines woman into custody after she reportedly scaled the wall of her apartment complex to reach her balcony and, after failing to gain entry, woke other residents as she attempted to break down the door in the early morning hours of March 30.

West Des Moines Police Officer Aaron Swenson responded to a disturbance call in the 4900 block of Woodland Drive about 2:45 a.m. When he got there, the woman – who was later charged with public intoxication and taken to the Polk County Jail – was attempting to break down her apartment door with a chair.

She reportedly told Swenson that it was her apartment, and she and her two friends were locked out. She thought her roommate was sleeping inside, but loud knocking reportedly failed to rouse her.

Swenson wrote in his report that he repeatedly tried to quiet the woman, but she “walked away about three times, stating ‘This is ridiculous.’ “

Given the choice of being quiet or going to jail, the woman “turned around and put her hands behind her back,” Swenson wrote, apparently presenting herself to be handcuffed.

She was arrested and as Swenson and a reserve officer working with him that morning escorted her down the stairs, she reportedly began resisting and said that she had changed her mind and did not want to go to jail.

“I advised her to keep walking, but she would not listen,” Swenson said. “She continued to plead to not be arrested.”

Swenson wrote in his report that en route to the jail, the woman apologized for not listening to him and then fell asleep for the remainder of the trip.

LINK UP WITH WEST DES MOINES PATCH: Like us on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter. Have West Des Moines news delivered to your inbox every morning by signing up for our free newsletter.