AUSTIN, Texas — Marcie Beal is out hundreds of dollars after someone broke into her storage unit at the Public Storage at 230-1 Ben White Blvd. near South Interstate Highway 35.
She found out last week when she went up to grab some catering equipment and discovered a different lock on the unit.
When she asked the Public Storage manager about the lock, she said that's when she was notified about the burglary.
Beal showed KVUE her storage unit on the third floor.
"Yeah, they went through everything," she said. "I mean everything."
Her storage unit was disheveled after it was burglarized.
"They stole dresses, makeup, a leather bag my mom gave me," she said.
Those things can be replaced. Other items cannot, like precious coins and jewelry.
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What is especially hard for the single mother is that she said she just left an abusive relationship and was starting over when this happened.
"The things that were valued, valuable to me, I took with me, and I believed that I was keeping it someplace safe," she said.
Beal reported the crime to Austin police, but it was already too late.
Det. Michael Whetson with the Austin Police Department's commercial burglary unit said there are challenges with this case.
"You don't have a witness, and at this time there's no video footage of the actual crime, so it's tough to determine the actual time frame," he said.
It's unclear how long Public Storage keeps surveillance footage. Det. Whetson said renters should better protect themselves by using bigger, thicker locks and using several of them on one unit.
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He also said we should all have a list of valuables along with pictures and their serial numbers. That way if the item is pawned, police can track it.
That's advice that doesn't help Beal now. But she does have words for the people responsible.
"I don't wish any ill will on them but I hope they understand how much pain they caused through their action," she said.
KVUE contacted Public Storage but have not heard back yet.
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