Owner claims can holding $10K left at Iowa store

[December 09, 2009]  DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) -- The owner of a tin can containing more than $10,000 that sat for four days on a Kmart service counter in Iowa has claimed the treasure.

Authorities say Joe Heithoff may have been having a reaction to medication Nov. 29 when he inadvertently left a red tin can with $10,380 on the store's customer service counter.

The can sat on the counter for four days before employees opened it last Thursday. Police took the can away Friday.

Heithoff's wife, Margaret, called police early Tuesday to claim the missing money.

Des Moines Police Detective Scott Anderson says Margaret Heithoff had heard someone talking about the found can on the radio.

Anderson says she proved ownership by correctly describing several items that were in the can along with the money.

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Information from: The Des Moines Register, http://www.desmoinesregister.com/

[Associated Press]

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