3 military families lost everything when moving truck was stolen, California cops say
Three military families were in the process of relocating when the tractor-trailer hauling all of their belongings was stolen in California, authorities said — and on Christmas, no less.
The truck and 53-foot trailer, which were taken in Stockton, “contained all of the belongings and property” of the families that were moving due to active duty relocations, California Highway Patrol officers in the Central Valley city wrote in a Facebook post on Friday.
The stolen property was worth more than $100,000, authorities estimated.
But police from Stockton, Manteca and Tracy, as well as the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Department and CHP, launched an investigation that tracked down the stolen truck on Dec. 28 in Manteca — and that night a search at a Livingston home recovered about 90 percent of the stolen cargo, according to CHP.
That search was at the home of Michael Travis Forward, who was arrested Dec. 31 when he was found with a stolen Harley Davidson motorcycle, highway patrol officers said.
Forward was booked on charges of auto and cargo theft at the San Joaquin County Jail, authorities said.
Not all of the families’ belongings were recovered, though.
“The investigation is still ongoing and investigators continue to attempt to locate 14 stolen firearms,” CHP officers said. “The Task Force is asking for the public for assistance. Anyone with any information is asked to call the Delta Regional Auto Theft Team at 209-948-3790.”
CHP shared photos of the stolen tractor-trailer on Facebook in the post announcing Forward’s arrest.
This story was originally published January 3, 2020 at 1:00 PM.
