Georgia authorities are investigating what could also be an Atlanta-based theft ring that has stolen greater than two dozen transferring vans, swiping households’ complete belongings within the course of.
A few of the victims had been en path to new houses and reported that that they had no insurance coverage protection on their family items within the vans. At the least 21 of the stolen vans had been U-Haul vans, and U-Haul gives solely insurance coverage on the automobile, for collision or hearth, however it doesn’t cowl theft of cargo, in line with an Atlanta TV information report.
“It wasn’t only a automobile stolen,” stated Kathleen Zini, whose household was transferring to Alabama when their U-Haul was stolen from a Macon, Georgia resort car parking zone simply earlier than Christmas. “It was our complete home, our complete livelihood, our entire lives, our reminiscences from our kids’s start, the whole lot that we had was stolen.”
The 26-foot transferring truck was discovered a number of days later, deserted off Interstate 20 in DeKalb County within the Atlanta space. It was empty aside from a piano and a few kids’s toys, 11Alive TV information reported.
The resort’s surveillance video exhibits three males approaching the truck at 11:23 p.m. In simply minutes, the thieves had been capable of begin the truck, with out the keys, and drive off with it. U-Haul stated it had refunded the household’s rental payment and was investigating the theft.
The household’s checkbooks and different private belongings had been within the truck, and the thieves apparently tried to money three checks, police stated.
Authorities in Bibb County and in DeKalb County stated they’ve recorded some 32 incident studies on stolen transferring vans within the final two years, and at the least 13 vans have been recovered. In some, the van’s catalytic converters had been additionally stolen.
No arrests have been made and few fingerprints have been discovered on the recovered transferring vans, police stated.
Authorities urged renters to acquire insurance coverage on their belongings earlier than transferring; to report the license tag variety of the van; park in well-lit areas and place the van in order that it’s troublesome for thieves to maneuver or entry the cargo.
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