CONVERSE, Texas — Right before the holidays, a family of five lost almost everything when thieves broke into their storage unit.
It happened at the 10 Federal Storage facility in Converse.
Monique William and her husband scraped and saved to purchase their first house. Last month, they decided to rent a storage unit to make the move easier.
“On Monday, October 14, we loaded the last of our things in there,” said William. “We looked at the storage unit; me and my honey, and we were like, ‘Man, our whole lives are in that unit!’ We closed it down, we left and stayed at a hotel. But the reason I picked Federal Storage was because of their reviews. The reviews showed they had 4.8 stars on Google.”
The company boasts “peace of mind” on their website with 24-hour security measures.
However, when the William family returned on move-in day, their excitement quickly turned into shock.
“I can’t even describe it,” said William. “To go to the storage unit on Halloween, it was a nightmare. We discovered someone had broken into our storage unit. Everything that they could take from us; they loaded it up. They barely left us with anything! They took our California king mattress, they took the bedrooms, three TVs, they took a Culligan water jar that we had filled with coins over the last seven years, they took our shoes, they took the kids clothes, their toys, my son’s birthday gift, documents, everything!”
In their haste to steal valuable items, the thieves also broke the family’s dining table, storage bins and TV stand.
“They knew they were stealing from kids,” said William. “My kids have nothing! Y’all took everything we have, probably even our underwear.”
Daniel Pinkstaff says he rented a unit from the same 10 Federal Storage facility four months ago. He told KENS 5 his unit and seven others were also broken into.
All of his belongings are gone.
“My whole life basically after my divorce,” said Pinkstaff. “So, pictures of my mom, even ashes; my brother’s ashes.”
In both cases, the company-provided locks were discovered open but not damaged. Pinkstaff borrowed one to show KENS 5 how easy it is to pop them open with a bit of pressure.
Despite our repeated attempts, 10 Federal Storage has not responded to our request for comment.
“Please do not put any of your belongings in there,” said William. “Anything that you have that has sentimental value, anything that you truly want … if you want it taken; take it there.”
The Bexar County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO) said the investigation has just started. It’s unclear whether surveillance video exists.
Meanwhile, William says the storage company offered her family $1,000 in compensation.
A GoFundMe page has been set up to help them get back on their feet before Christmas. To donate, click HERE.