PORTLAND, OR (KPTV) -
Two sisters visiting Portland for their late aunt's memorial service were dealt a devastating blow when a U-Haul full of family heirlooms was stolen.
"I feel like she was taken all over again," said Julie Barkett.
Barkett and sister Sarah Williams discovered the U-Haul was missing Monday morning from a hotel parking lot on Northeast Airport Way.
"We thought people might try to clip the cutters on the lock we'd purchased and take things through it," said Williams. "We never thought they'd take the whole truck."
In addition to locking the moving van, the sisters consulted with hotel staff to find a safe place to park it. They chose a well-lit spot near surveillance cameras and stayed in a room with a view of the van. They woke twice in the night to check the van before discovering it was missing at about 7 a.m.
"I thought it was seeing things and I rubbed my eyes and looked again," said Williams. "I thought it was a bad dream. Then anger, then panic."
Surveillance video shows a maroon truck park next to the U-Haul at about 6 a.m. Twenty minutes later, the truck drives off in one direction while the U-Haul is driven out of the lot in another direction.
The van was full of their aunt's belongings, including homemade quilts, a set of dishes and family photos.
Most of their aunt's valuable belongings were donated to nonprofits or given to friends. The only electronics inside the U-Haul were a television from the 1980s and a computer with family photos on it.
"Nothing of huge financial value, but certainly of our value for our heirloom things," said Williams. "Things that remind us of her and our heritage. And that's what's so upsetting."
The U-Haul was found at about 8:40 p.m. in Vancouver near 127th Street and 56th Avenue. It was empty.
Copyright KPTV 2012 (Meredith Corporation). All rights reserved.
Truck before parking next to U-Haul
This truck left parking lot at the same time as the U-Haul
