UPDATE: A U-Haul truck containing the belongings of a family of 10 has been located in Atlanta, according to investigators.
The 26-foot truck was found on Fayetteville Road in southeast Atlanta, but the rear door had been damaged and could not be fully opened, a police spokeswoman said. Some household items were found inside, police said.
Shanna Sanon said she isn’t sure yet when she’ll be able to see what possessions her family still has. But she’s grateful for all of the support, even from strangers, who have offered to help her family.
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It’s a tough task for a mother of eight. But Shanna Sanon made sure she saved every report card and honor roll certificate her children earned.
“Every parent knows that you save these things for your kids to have as memories,” she told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Now, Sanon says those papers honoring achievements are gone, along with the family’s furniture, clothing and other personal belongings. The family of 10 was in the process of moving from North Carolina to the Atlanta area after Sanon accepted a new job. While looking for a new home, the family was staying temporarily at a Gwinnett County hotel. They’d been there for about a week when, early Friday, someone apparently drove away in the family’s 26-foot rented U-Haul truck.
“We had our U-Haul parked at the location and someone drove off with it with everything we owned,” Sanon said. “I’ve been crying for the past three days. Everything we own is gone.”
The family had a couple of suitcases in the hotel, but little else. Friday morning, Sanon and her husband, Hilson, were shocked to find their truck missing from the Sonesta Select hotel on Pleasant Hill Road. Sanon had to tell her kids — who range in age from 3 to 14 — that their toys and electronics were among the items stolen, along with the dresses and suits everyone recently wore to celebrate Easter.
“It just broke my heart to see my kids crying like that,” she said. “My kids are great kids and good students. They didn’t deserve this.”
The Gwinnett Police Department says it’s investigating but had not found the U-Haul as of Monday evening. It’s not clear if the truck had a tracking device on it.
“For security and privacy reasons, we do not share information pertaining to equipment tracking features,” a U-Haul spokesperson said. “The reason is simple: U-Haul has no desire to inform and embolden persons who intend to commit criminal acts and make them aware of methods and devices used to track equipment and assist law enforcement in their capture. U-Haul has assisted numerous customers in recovering their stolen belongings, and regularly assists law enforcement and prosecutors when our equipment falls victim to criminals.”
Sanon said she and her husband still have the keys to the truck and there was no broken glass in the parking lot where the truck sat late Thursday.
There were some valuables among the items in the truck. But Sanon says many things aren’t replaceable. The family is working with U-Haul and their insurance company to see if help is available.
Until then, Sanon created a GoFundMe page to help her family rebuild their lives. Finding a new home topped her to-do list.
“We’re so devastated and heartbroken. They stole everything we worked so hard to pack and have,” she said. “We have nothing.”
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