In an incident that has left officers "heartbroken," Redding police are investigating a stolen donut van found in downtown Redding early Thursday morning.

Officers found the van in a parking lot at the corner of Oregon and Tehama streets, Redding police said.

An officer saw the van parked in the lot and "ran the plates" on it and discovered it belonged to a company in Fairfield, Sgt. Gary Meadows said.

It wasn't clear why the van was left in the parking lot. Redding police were happy to take credit for discovering the donut van but were upset to find that dozens of them had to be thrown away.

"When officers looked inside, what they found broke their hearts: over 100 discarded donuts without a home," police said in a Facebook post, obviously having some fun with the story.

"Yes, it’s true, we as officers do have a sweet spot in our hearts for donuts. I mean, who doesn’t love donuts?" post said.

Officers searched the area but could not find anyone involved in the "tragic incident."

"The officers were heartbroken that all these donuts had to be thrown away," police said.

A sign on the side of the van said it belonged to Little Maya Bakery in Sonoma. A woman who answered the phone at the bakery said no one was available to comment on the stolen van.

Meadows said stolen donut vans are a rarity.

"I have never had a case like that," he said.

Meadows said the van was towed to a storage yard and left there for the owner to pick up. He said the case is still under investigation.

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Damon Arthur is the Record Searchlight’s resources and environment reporter. He is among the first on the scene at breaking news incidents, reporting real time on Twitter at @damonarthur_RS. Damon is part of a dedicated team of journalists who investigate wrongdoing and find the unheard voices to tell the stories of the North State. He welcomes story tips at 530-225-8226 and damon.arthur@redding.com. Help local journalism thrive by subscribing today!