Work Van&Tools Stolen From Home Depot Parking Lot

Hello my name is Jenna and this is my family’s story that lead to our call for help.

My parents run an independently owned business in gardening. Growing up we were able to get by with—not a comfortable, but sufficient life with just enough. My parents work very hard to maintain this lifestyle but unfortunately our family became victims of motor vehicle theft on Tuesday, May 23, 2023.

Before heading back home after a full day’s worth of work, my parents opted to go shopping at our local Home Depot located in the city of paramount. We believe that my parents were being watched as they entered the store. After 30 minutes of shopping, my parents were met with an empty parking space as they walked back to the spot where they had seen their van last.

The rest of the day was filled with phone calls and long conversations with authorities to file a missing vehicle report. The security guard on duty hadn’t seen the perpetrators due to “personal reasons” and the police sent someone from public safety to assess our situation.

My dad had parked the work van under a security camera in order to create some sense of insurance, however, the individual who had access to the security cameras was unavailable that day. We were told to come back the next day with a police report in order to see the footage.

Upon completing our report and returning the next morning, we were declined access to the footage once more because the absence of a sheriff. One more call to the police station only earned us another representative from public safety, however we were insistent that our needs required specifically a sheriff. To our dismay we were informed by the public safety representative that since our police report was filed, a detective would be sifting through any available footage of the perpetrators. However, we quickly understood that this was not the case because it was later brought to light that the security cameras were decoys in order to deter criminal activity (what good that did).

Our family was well aware that we would never get our answers seeing as how idle figures of authority respond to our crisis. This is the system in which we trust and have put our money into for not only our own, but the safety of everyone around us. Not only are we victims of unwarranted thievery, but organized neglect to our needs of protection of property and justice.

On the morning of May 25th my parents work van was recovered. It was stripped of $12,000 worth of tools my parents had accumulated over the years, my mothers purse, wallet, and phone. The van was also left with a damaged lock and ignition. Our insurance only covers items with receipts, however, given the length of ownership for these items, only few and select tools could be reimbursed.

We ask now for any support you could hand out. My parents work very hard and we live in a society where only the rich stay rich and the rest have to struggle to get by without the calm assurance of protection and justice; what we only desire now are the tools necessary for us to return to our obligation of work to keep moving forward.

Thank you for listening to our story and thank you for any support offered.