Stolen Ypsilanti Meals on Wheels van recovered

This article has been updated with more information about the van's recovery.

An Ypsilanti Meals on Wheels van stolen from a church parking lot over the weekend was found this morning in Detroit at the juvenile detention center, the organization said this afternoon.

Someone who works for Wayne County Senior Nutrition in Detroit saw the van parked at the juvenile detention facility, located at 1326 St. Antoine St., while he was driving by this morning, said Ann Harris, executive director of Ypsilanti Meals on Wheels. He thought it was odd for the Ypsilanti van to be in Detroit, so he called his boss, Harris said.

The Wayne County organization then contacted Ypsilanti Meals on Wheels, which contacted police. Harris said the van has a broken mirror, and might have a broken window. The organization doesn't yet have it back, but Harris said she plans to send two people to pick it up Wednesday.

She said the van will be put back into service as soon as possible. The organization is hard-pressed to be without the van, which was stolen sometime between Saturday and Monday morning from the parking lot of the First Baptist Church in Ypsilanti, for even a few days.

The van is one of five the organization uses to help serve 210 meals each day in eastern Washtenaw County, Harris said. Meal deliveries give workers an opportunity to check up on clients - 80 percent of whom live alone.

"I want to thank this guy who was paying attention," Harris said. "It's an example of if something doesn't seem right, follow your instincts," Harris said. "I'm just so appreciative to everybody and I'm sure all of our recipients will be very happy."