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SALT LAKE CITY — Car thefts aren't new in Salt Lake City — but getting a locked car stolen on Foothill Drive isn't common, according to police.
Wednesday around 8 a.m. people in a black minivan rolled up to a parking lot by Walmart and stole a truck.
"By the end of it all with the truck, and items $40,000," Kristin Phillips described what was lost.
Phillips and her husband packed up their life and their 14-year-old son to travel cross-country visiting national parks.
They got to Salt Lake City on Tuesday and had their 2005 green F-250 truck stolen the next day.
"My husband walked out and was like ... where's the truck?"
They lost their two DSLR cameras and a GoPro that captured memories of the trip. The family also lost something that has held more memories than any camera could: A stuffed orca that had been in their family for 13 years.
Missing Mu-Mu!
— Morgan Wolfe (@MorganWolfeKSL) September 30, 2021
This Virginia fam is traveling thru Utah and had their 2005 Ford F-250 stolen yesterday! All their camping gear, cameras, and their sons favorite stuffed animal were stolen.
If you see this truck, or saw anything suspicious around Foothill Dr, call 911. pic.twitter.com/U0s3lR8KEL
While their son has grown out of the phase of bringing it everywhere, he brought it along on the trip for fun, only to have it stolen.
Though someone almost stole the rest of their trip by leaving them without transportation, the family was able to get a rental car through their insurance.
"We are going to keep going and finish it out," Kristin said.
Their insurance company says it can only cover up to $250 of what was inside the truck, so a family friend started a GoFundMe* to help the family buy some new winter and camping gear for their trip.
*KSL.com does not assure that the money deposited to the account will be applied for the benefit of the persons named as beneficiaries. If you are considering a deposit to the account, you should consult your own advisers and otherwise proceed at your own risk.
