DENVER (KDVR) — After six days on the road, the Bartholomew family’s cross country move came to a devastating and abrupt halt.
“He stopped and pointed over there and said, ‘The truck and trailer are gone,'” Maggie Bartholomew said.
Initially, the family thought their truck and trailer had been towed from the Marriott where they were staying at in Aurora, but quickly realized it had been stolen.
“When they got in the car, they saw the car seat there. And they knew that they were taking from a family—from a kid, from a baby. I just can’t understand why somebody would do that,” Maggie said.
The family is relocating from Oregon to a military base in Maine, as Daniel Bartholomew is a First Class Petty Officer in the Coast Guard.
Several expensive items were in the trailer, but the family says they are more heartbroken over the missing keepsakes.
“A bible that was passed down in his family. There’s also items—his father passed away when he was younger, and those items are things that help remind him of his father,” Bartholomew said.
Daniel’s coast guard awards and uniforms were also in the trailer.
“He was just talking about how he was hoping one day his daughter could look through a box of his old military stuff and be able to go through that. And now, that’s all gone as well,” Maggie said.
The family still needs a lot of things, like a car seat and stroller, but says the community has already started to step in and help.
“We really appreciate the Aurora Police Department. They even brought over a box of toys to play with,” Maggie said.
When it comes to the next leg of their trip, Maggie says they are just trying to take it one day at a time.
“We hadn’t even gotten there yet. We’re taking one day at a time. The Marriot has comped the next night for us, so we know where we’re sleeping tonight.”
The truck is a black 1999 F350. The cargo trailer is also black. Both have Connecticut plates.
“We just want our personal stuff back—the stuff that means something to us and our families,” Maggie said.
If you are interested in helping the Bartholomew family, you can donate here.
