'This panic just sets in like somebody stole our lives.'
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SEATTLE -- A Seattle couple surprised friends at their recent going away party with news of their wedding. But the couple got a nasty surprise Sunday as they prepared to leave town when their moving truck was stolen.
Newly married Jason Jones and Ambrose Romero packed up their Capitol Hill apartment to move closer to family.
"The truck had everything, our whole house, our whole life," Jones said.
They walked outside Sunday to find the moving truck missing.
"My heart broke, you don't know what to do," he said. "First thing, panic and think maybe it got towed or something or police took it. Called them, they didn't have it. This panic just sets in like somebody stole our lives."
Gone is their furniture, passports, paintings, pictures, and the valuable vintage toy collection Jones planned to sell.
"I wanted when we go down to California to start a new life and hopefully adopt... be selling those to help pay for raising a family. With those gone, I don't know what to do."
The couple doesn't own a car, so when police found the truck ditched near Renton on Monday, we gave them a lift.
Romero arrived first and waited for his husband before looking inside. The men moved with dread toward the back of the truck.
Sadness broke the silence.
"It's gutted; it really is completely gutted," Romero said.
Stolen are grandparents' antiques and mementos meaningless to thieves. All that's left in the hollowed Budget truck is a picture frame, a calculator, and two blankets.
"Nothing, everything's gone," Jones said.
In one week's time, the men went from celebrating their new lives together to losing everything they own.
"It's like you gain a life then lose a life at the same time," Jones said.
The newlyweds still plan to move forward but no longer need a truck for the trip.
If you have any information about the stolen moving van or the items that were in it, contact Seattle Police.
Newly married Jason Jones and Ambrose Romero packed up their Capitol Hill apartment to move closer to family.
"The truck had everything, our whole house, our whole life," Jones said.
They walked outside Sunday to find the moving truck missing.
"My heart broke, you don't know what to do," he said. "First thing, panic and think maybe it got towed or something or police took it. Called them, they didn't have it. This panic just sets in like somebody stole our lives."
Gone is their furniture, passports, paintings, pictures, and the valuable vintage toy collection Jones planned to sell.
"I wanted when we go down to California to start a new life and hopefully adopt... be selling those to help pay for raising a family. With those gone, I don't know what to do."
The couple doesn't own a car, so when police found the truck ditched near Renton on Monday, we gave them a lift.
Romero arrived first and waited for his husband before looking inside. The men moved with dread toward the back of the truck.
Sadness broke the silence.
"It's gutted; it really is completely gutted," Romero said.
Stolen are grandparents' antiques and mementos meaningless to thieves. All that's left in the hollowed Budget truck is a picture frame, a calculator, and two blankets.
"Nothing, everything's gone," Jones said.
In one week's time, the men went from celebrating their new lives together to losing everything they own.
"It's like you gain a life then lose a life at the same time," Jones said.
The newlyweds still plan to move forward but no longer need a truck for the trip.
If you have any information about the stolen moving van or the items that were in it, contact Seattle Police.
Someone should tell the couple to use this site!!
gofundme.com
I know it's just money but 100's of families have had 5,000-10,000$ donated to them for stuff like losing a house to a wild fire, or a kid getting sick.Â
Please guys set it up you might be surprized how many people want to help! I'd donate 25$ to you guys : (
Too bad rental trucks don't come with a chain that is welded to the floor of the cab like military trucks. then you could padlock the steering wheel so lazy crooks won't steal the truck. Most likely someone(s) watched them load the truck an stole it later. Rental trucks and trailers are commonly stolen all over the country. they even have a truck recovery hot line to report abandond equipment.
@32jim2 There are a few other things you can do like taking off the coil wire (if it has a distributor) or even taking the battery into your room at night. I have to move a truck of stuff as well and I plan on driving 24/7 with switching drivers. Moving vans are a common target, the thieves usually own another moving van that they unload into.
Make sure you report it stolen, and hopefully have a list of items. Even better to have "pictures" of those items. Â When I had stuff stolen I was able to get it back by finding it at pawn shops. Â In my case I ended up buying my items back (at what they gave the thief), but you can always wait and the police will impound it for evidence and you can get it back for nothing. Â It cost me quite a bit to buy back a lot of my stuff, especially my jewelry but I was afraid it would come up missing from the pawn shops........ Â Check pawn shops AND craigslist......... Â Good luck..... Â What a horrible thing to happen at the beginning of your lives......
Scum, who would steal someone's moving van full of memories?
@dgruntled how about the person or persons who stole their truck for a quick buck or to refurnish their Occupy Seattle house.
If I were them, keep a vigilent eye on Craigs list and Ebay.  I've had a couple friends who caught the thieves that robbed their houses that way.Â
That's really sad. Thankfully, the times I've had to use a moving truck, it was a 1-day operation, which sounds like the only way to go, given that it seems like every few months, there is an article exactly like this one. I wonder if it would help if truck rental agencies started renting trucks with the option of renting The Club as well. The device that locks the steering wheel. Would that deter these lowlifes at all?
@tats76Â the club is a waste of money. the thieves just cut a notch in the steering wheel and slip the club off.
@32jim2 Man, they are real peaches, aren't they? I'd be curious to know exactly how often moving trucks are either broken into or stolen - it seems way too often I see an article about this.
Filthy scumbags. Â This is why I refuse to rent a truck when I move. There are too many stories like this if you have to park the truck overnight. Â They should sell lock/alarms for the trucks... or heck. have someone sleep in the cab. Â Wonder if the police would let you park the truck in front of their place overnight? Or perhaps find some sort of guarded facility for it... Â If I have to do a move that requires an overnight, then I use one of those pods. The truck picks it up, and it goes down to a warehouse inside.... Â no flithy maggot-infested meth addicts get near it.Â
I'm so sorry for the couple. I can image the panic you feel when you realize that everything is lost like that. Â Check CraigsList in Portland, and Spokane, that's where the idiots usually fence the stuff. Â
@DT The key is pack it then start your trip. I have moved across the country, and all around WA and never had an issue because my truck was never parked with my stuff in it.Â
@DTÂ You must of missed the katu 2 website in portland last month of how a POD got placed over a street drain by a pod driver and it flooded when leaves blocked the drain causing the interior to get wet and ruined several boxes of property. It wasn't even legal to put the pod in the street so i hope the company pays the guy for damages.
Thieves are the scummiest kind of criminal out there.
People who did this are the lowest form of life and should be shot, tarred and feathered, hung burned at the stake. I better not sugar coat my feelings anymore.
@Exiled_Patriot I agree. I don't understand what you're saying.
The van rental companies could probably do better at making their trucks more secure. It would be a selling point for their business.
@marsneedswomen They could care less about your stuff. Your lucky if the truck makes it from their lot and back.
I for one am getting real real tired of hearing about thieves, robberies and crime in general, I hope some one is able to help these two recoup.
Get 'em, SPD, get 'em. Stuff like this has to stop. Been reading about too many incidents like this.
That's awful. Doesn't Budget truck rental come with some sort of coverage? Granted, you cannot replace the heirlooms and such. Hopefully friends and family can help these guys where possible.
Keep an eye on Craigslist guys, and contact local pawn shops for the mementos and valuables. Thieves like this are scum, and probably found out much of what they got was worthless to them, and it may have ended up dumped.Â
@Hadrian If they had renter's insurance on their possessions, the insurance company would cover the monetary loss but no one can replace the sentimental belongings. I hope they catch the creeps that did this before they sell off all of their stuff.
Insured?
If this had happened to a straight couple with the same goals, dreams and aspirations, this would not be a news story, and we wouldn't be reading about it.
@Takamine This is one of the most ignorant comments I have read on this site.Â
@Takamine LOL! You wanna bet? Shall I archive all the other news stories of the sort that did NOT involed a gay couple for you since you're clearly new here?
Just what is it with you people? someone makes a comment "YOU DON'T LIKE" and you jump on him like a pack of wolves, actually wolves would be nicer, all of you need to take a good look at yourselves, anyone has a right to their  opinion without being berated by all you tollerant, perfect people who are always right about EVERYTHING, christ, give it a break, I'm sure that is just the kind of  support they love to get on the news, and you people played right into it, I'm sure they appreciate your "Gay" support, but it looks as if they are adults and can take care of themselves, they don't need bleeding hearts to champion their life style, so get off the soap box...your opinions are not the only ones, and the right ones for that matter.
@Skillet77 FYI, no problem here. Just debating like a lot of other people usually do here. That's just how it is here. You're reading a little too much into this thing and taking it a little too seriously, and if so, then you probably shouldn't be on here. No problem with you, just sayin'. You have a nice evening as well. :)
@Zoso
I think you should take another look at that, no where is your name mentioned, the only time I replied to you directly, Â and you saw a notification, is when you made a comment about what I said initally, and addressed your comment to me, my initial comment was addressed to those who made rude comments, not anyone in particular, (no names were mentioned) and we know who they are, don't we? what is your problem anyway? you want to keep this going, go right on, but don't expect me to comment on this anymore, all I'm going to say, have a nice evening.
@Skillet77Â Well, you replied directly to me and I got the notification, so I don't know what you expected. You think you're hitting a nerve with, and you think I said anything about any namecalling? You clearly must be new here.
@quidproquo
And what makes you think you are right? he has a right to think as he likes, weather YOU, or anyone likes it., because you don't like what he said, it makes him wrong? maybe it's you who's wrong.
@Zoso
Well now, I don't recall mentioning your name in my comment, but seems like I might have hit a nerve, maybe you think what you said was not very nice, and realize this is an open board, and anyone can say what they think, Â and not be called ignorant, as I might point out...."you did"....talk about ignorance.....hello...I don't recall seeing any name calling in his post either, anything else?
@Skillet77Â I'm not going after the guy for his/her opinion, I'm calling him/her out on his/her sheer ignorance. Maybe you ought to follow the thread a little better.
@Skillet77Â They aren't being berated, they are being informed they are wrong. There have been plenty of hetero couples that have been in the news for having their belonging stolen. Other folks have cited those stories.Â
@Takamine Really? Gosh are you telling me that the nice older couple who had their struck stolen a few weeks ago from in front of their new home, were gay? How did that work? It was a woman and a man?Â
@TakamineÂ
Yes, yes, it would. The same thing happened to a local hetero couple recently. Remember the woman's Mary Kay makeup inventory?Â
Why be like that? Why does the first thing you see have to be "zomg ew 2 men ewwww that bothers me"?Â
@Hadrian @Takamine You have me completely wrong. I missed the story you are referring to obviously, but seriously? What does these two being married have to do with getting ripped off? Why is it part of the story? Easy......agenda, and sympathy. Most of my gay friends agree. They have the equal rights they wanted, now, stop painting them as special and let them go about their own lives like we hetero's do. :) We're all EQUAL now. Remember?
@Takamine I have not seen any mentioned that they were gay and married repeatedly, just that they were a couple who were planning on starting a new life together and a lot of that got taken away from them. Technically that's the point of the story. Technically you're the one sensasionalzing about this whole thing and making a big deal about it. And that's all I'm pointing out, I am not judging you. Maybe you need to get off your high horse.
@DT @Jolly @Takamine I thought you were moving.......?
@Zoso @Takamine Weird.....I see no flip flop in my statement, and an explanation given FOR it. This is a forum where people speak their opinion. I spoke mine. There's no need for "damage control" in a forum unless you're running for President of it. Oh, and as far as the "simple married couple" goes Zoso, look at how many times it was mentioned in one way or another that these two men were married in this short article, and tell me it wasn't on purpose. I have no problem with gays getting married whatsoever so climb on down off your high horse before you try to judge me.
@Takamine LOL! So you admit that you missed the story mentioned, now here you are doing damage control trying to question why a simple married couple is part of this story! Probably because they're the ones who just got robbed perhaps? Epic flip flop fail, pal!
@Jolly @Takamine that darn "gay agenda." You know, wanting to be happy with the person you love, be in a committed relationship, and live happily ever after. Â
@Hadrian @Takamine Agreed. Oh, and as far as your above mentioned question, Budget does have insurance. Last time I rented a moving truck however it only covered the vehicle, the driver, and bodily injury in case of an accident....not the items you are transporting. Either way, there are too damn many thieves out there stealing people's hard earned stuff.
@Takamine It isn't them being gay, it's them being newlyweds that is the focus of the story. Good thing we're all EQUAL now and that means you certainly wouldn't immediately spout off about "the gay agenda" etc. on a harmless fluff piece about newlyweds getting all of their possessions stolen as they were just embarking on their new life together.
@Hadrian @Takamine this too: http://mynorthwest.com/76/2168829/UHaul-truck-stolen-from-Seattle-womens-shelter
@Takamine http://www.komonews.com/news/local/Thieves-steal-moving-van-all-of-couples-possessions-190109711.html  What, are they trying to get sympathy (seriously??) for being retired?
You've read far too much into this story. But of course, as a gay man, I'm probably just biased and want some sort of odd sympathy. :p Perhaps getting all your stuff stolen is a big deal, and really crappy, for anyone.Â