"Renter beware": Colorado family warns of storage unit thefts

Renter beware. The Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office says they see storage unit thefts frequently. Now one Centennial man is warning units may not be as secure as renters think.

"You think that you have a place where you can put your items and that they'll be secured and well looked after, and that they have the proper security mechanisms in place and great camera systems and whatnot. And I've found that that's not necessarily the case and it's renter beware," said Jon, who asked we not use his last name.

Jon's family was using a CubeSmart storage unit to store their motorcycle dirt bikes and some other items.

Last week, he stopped by to pick up the bikes for a ride and found the unit nearly empty.

"I was surprised, you know, everything was going through my mind and you're wondering like did one of my friends borrow these? How can this be? Do I have the wrong unit?" Jon said.

Nearly $50,000 worth of belongings, including five dirt bikes and a trailer, were gone.

Jon reported the theft to Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office but says he never got a callback. He also spoke to management at CubeSmart, who said there's not much they can do.

"CubeSmart storage facility doesn't have a secure facility they don't have updated cameras," said Jon, "law enforcement is completely overwhelmed and they don't have the time and resources or effort to even look into these situations."

So Jon launched an investigation of his own, looking at security video from CubeSmart and another business, which showed two men pulling up in a U-Haul, and committing the theft around noon on June 23.

"It looks like what they did is they used a grinder and cut the lock," said Jon, "then came inside and cut this tab" he points to evidence left behind from the incident.

Jon believes the thieves previously replaced the locks at the storage unit with their own.

"So they were able to pull up to the units and very rapidly set two of the motorcycle dirt bikes onto the back of the truck and then they were able to pull up the three-wheel trailer and hook it up to the hitch on the U-Haul and drive away," Jon said.

Jon is combing Facebook marketplace, looking for anyone selling the bikes. Now, his only hope is that someone spots the 26-foot U-Haul box truck, with a dinosaur on it, from the security video.

If you recognize the U-Haul used in the theft, contact the Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office and reference case number AC23-0011505.

CubeSmart has not yet responded to multiple requests for comment.