PASCO, Wash. (NEXSTAR) — Washington state police officers investigating thefts of catalytic converters from cars wound up making an unexpected break in another case – the heist of a 400-pound playground slide.
Pasco Police initially reported the massive playground slide stolen in December. Then, on Feb. 26, Detective Julie Lee was executing a search warrant of a mobile home in Burbank, southeast of Seattle, after getting a tip about a truck possibly linked to the crimes when she found the giant slide.
A police photo shows Lee smiling at the top of the bright blue slide.
“Turns out, most of the original playground set got left behind back in December, but the slide was taken, the top sawed off, it was repainted, and it was mounted on a bunkbed,” police said in a news release. “Pasco Parks and Rec arrived and recovered the slide.”
Lee also found stolen catalytic converters, police said. The emission control devices contain valuable heavy metals inside, which can be sold after thieves hack the converters off of vehicles.
Police arrested Dustin Allen Bushnell for possession of stolen property in the case of the stolen slide, but as of Tuesday no charges had been filed in the case of the catalytic converters.