FEDERAL WAY, Wash. — For the Anderson family, the month of October, centered around all things Halloween, is usually a time of prosperity for their business, Cutout Creation PNW. They're known for the spooky Halloween-themed pins, prints, and tote bags.
"This is our big month. We do three shows a weekend," Liz Anderson, one of the owners, said.
A devastating theft has left them reeling. Last Friday morning, thieves stole the family's U-Haul truck from the La Quinta Inn & Suites by Wyndham in Federal Way. Anderson puts their losses at $60,000.
"We went from an entire garage, an entire 15-foot U-Haul of stuff to four little bins left of our business," Anderson said.
She's thankful that despite Cutout Creation PNW supporting their family, her husband didn't quit his job as a plumber.
RELATED: Online fundraiser for the Anderson family
"If he didn't have the job he had, we'd be homeless by the end of this month," she said.
Anderson said her husband Wes was the one who discovered the truck had been stolen. They'd gotten to the hotel around 1 a.m. and by 5 a.m., it was gone. They then called the police. Five hours later, they received a call from U-Haul.
"10 o'clock that morning, we got a call from U-Haul telling us, 'You brought your U-Haul back to the wrong location. You're going to get a fine.' I'm like, 'this is stolen"," Anderson said.
Anderson, her husband, and two kids, Liam and Emily, hoped the thieves saw what was in the back of the truck and had a change of heart; that wasn't the case.
"When we opened that door and saw, it was just devastating," she said.
Family and friends have rallied around the Andersons. One friend started an online fundraiser to help them overcome this gut-wrenching loss. Anderson said she feels like she did everything right. The hotel had security and they parked the U-Haul close to the entrance. Also, she had several forms of insurance, but that, too, has been a headache.
"I have insurance on my business. My husband has insurance on his business. We have renter's insurance, car insurance. We bought a special insurance from the company and right now, none of them are covering us," she said.
Despite the terrible situation, Anderson still wants to believe in the good of people. She explained to her kids that whoever did this must be in an awful place. Knowing they have so much support from the community is reassuring to them.
Even though they don't have a lot to sell, different Halloween markets have still invited them to come. They're choosing to be thankful during this difficult time.
This isn't the first story KING 5 has covered about a U-Haul being stolen. Mechanics we talked to said U-Hauls are easy to steal. They encouraged potential U-Haul renters to buy steering wheel and tire locks. Dylan Anderson, a mechanic who worked at a U-Haul location, said it's important to park it in a well-lit area and, if possible, make it impossible for someone to get inside.
"Back the truck into a spot so the door is as close to a wall as you can get. Even if they get into the wall space, they're not going to be able to get your belongings from that tiny little hole," he said.