Thieves Steal A Couple's U-Haul, Then They Realize They're In Way Over Their Heads
Crime doesn't pay, though those who've gotten away with it will likely tell you otherwise. Career criminals have seen it all and done it all, so when it comes to an easy job, only a fool would pass it up. For one group of thieves, stealing a couple's U-Haul was like taking candy from a baby — when they opened it, however, they quickly realized they'd made the worst mistake of their lives.
A Fateful Road Trip
It all began on a warm spring day as the couple sped along the New Mexico highway, the small U-Haul trailer bouncing in rhythm behind them. The pair had hoped to reach their destination within the day, though as the sun began to set, they decided they'd be better off striking out again in the morning.
In Need of a Rest
They opted to crash at the Residence Inn in Albuquerque, leaving their SUV and the trailer in the hotel lot for night. But when the couple returned for their vehicle the next day, their hearts sank.
Everything's Gone!
Not only had the trailer been stolen, but their SUV was gone too! Panicked, the couple raced back to the hotel and immediately phoned local police. They knew that this wasn't going to be your ordinary stolen vehicle report.
What's in the U-Haul?
The officers wasted no time in setting out to find the missing vehicles, though when pressed about the contents of the trailer, the couple hesitated. Evidently, it wasn't exactly furniture they were moving.
Eyewitness Accounts
With that in mind, the cops sprung into action, scouring the area for any sign of the SUV or the trailer. Fortunately, several of the guests at the Residence Inn had noticed something strange that morning.
Suspicious Truck
A suspicious-looking red pickup truck had been seen in the area shortly before the theft, leading the officers to run their database for clues. Sure enough, the red truck came up — it was also listed as stolen.
We Have You Surrounded
An APB alert went out immediately, and before long, the red truck was spotted a town over. Officers converged on the stolen vehicle, though, unsurprisingly, the thieves weren't about to go down without a fight.
Desperate Chase
The driver floored it, speeding off and leading a swarm of police cars on a high-speed chase along a nearby highway. Officers attempted to pull alongside the truck, though each time the vehicle swerved to hit them — clearly, these criminals did not want to be caught.
Coming to Terms
But as the chase continued and more police cars joined the pursuit, it became painfully obvious to the thieves that they weren't going to get away. And so, the truck pulled off into a nearby neighborhood and the perpetrators finally gave themselves up.
Career Criminals
They were identified as Jeremy Soliz, Anthony Serna, and Daniel Gonzales, three career criminals with records as thick as phonebooks. It was obvious that these men had stolen the red truck they were apprehended in — the SUV and U-Haul, however, were a different story.
Can't Pin It
With both vehicles unaccounted for, it would be nearly impossible to pin these men to the theft, especially since the officers had no hard evidence to follow. Even in custody, Soliz and Gonzalez refused to acknowledge the SUV and trailer, though there was still a wildcard in play.
Intense Interrogation
Serna, it seemed, was a bit shakier on the subject, with Soliz and Gonzalez privately worrying their accomplice might spill his guts. Sensing this opportunity, prosecutors separated Serna from his partners and sat him down for questioning — sure enough, they broke him.
Cracking the Case
The criminal fully admitted to stealing the couple's SUV and trailer along with the red truck, leading to the trio's swift conviction on multiple auto theft charges. Not only that, but he also gave law enforcement the final piece to the puzzle: the vehicles' location.
Found at Last
Within minutes, patrolling officers were able to track down the SUV and trailer abandoned on a quiet neighborhood street just a few blocks from the Residence Inn. They approached slowly, fully aware that they could be walking right into a trap.
Confirming the Culprits
Fortunately, the SUV was clean, and after dusting it for prints, they confirmed that Serna, Soliz, and Gonzalez were the culprits. But before they could log this crucial bit of evidence, there was just one last thing the officers had to do.
Let's See What's Inside
Crossing to the back of the U-Haul, the officers discovered that the lock was busted, meaning the criminal trio had managed to get inside. Hoping to take stock of what they'd left behind, the cops threw open the door — and let out an audible gasp.
A Chilling Discovery
There, smack dab in the middle of the trailer, was a full-size casket. The officers froze, then considered this all just might be some kind of elaborate prank... until they saw the body inside.
Scared Off
The criminals, too, had seen the body, which was the main reason why they decided to leave the vehicles behind and get the heck out of dodge. Fortunately, there was a perfectly good explanation for the casket in the U-Haul.
A Tragic Mission
The body in the couple's trailer was actually that of the woman's father, who had died just days earlier. With no cemeteries nearby, the pair had set out across New Mexico to find a proper burial site for their lost loved one.
Not So Innocent
With the SUV and trailer returned, the woman was finally able to lay her father to rest, and the three criminals got their just desserts behind bars. Yet, the couple soon learned that it doesn't even take committing a crime to find yourself face to face with something as chilling as a corpse — it's as easy as downloading an app.
Technology Backfires
A group of local teens learned this lesson the hard way as they watched investigators cross the police tape strung before them. They still couldn't wrap their heads around the mess they'd wandered into, but they all agreed on one thing: they wished they'd never downloaded Randonautica.
Hi-Tech Adventures
Randonautica was developed by Joshua Lengfelder and became a huge hit soon after its 2020 launch, especially with teens tired of staying home amidst the coronavirus pandemic. The app calls itself “the world's first quantumly-generated ‘Choose Your Own Adventure’ reality game."
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A Cure For Boredom
The program’s functions are pretty simple in terms of mechanics. Users (also known as Randonauts) are sent random coordinates and told to travel there. Players don’t have to go far; typically the destinations are within a ten-minute drive of a user’s location.
Intention Setting
However, teens don’t merely show up and then go home. The true genius of Randonautica is that users are told to think of an “intention” before embarking on their journey. These can be anything from getting over heartbreak to the much simpler “flowers." Occasionally, intentions can be of the more morbid variety.
'A Perfect Storm'
According to Lengfelder, “It’s sort of a perfect storm of easy tools to create little vignettes.” The hope is that Rando nauts will keep their intention in mind throughout the adventure and ultimately encounter a location that mirrors their goal. Some pretty unbelievable coincidences have arisen through this process.
Coincidence Or Not?
One user, for example, chose “red” as their intention and was completely shocked when the app sent them to a location that was an isolated patch of grass with nothing else around it besides a bright red couch. Kinda eerie, right? But it gets stranger.
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From Beyond The Grave
Another adventurer chose a more bittersweet intention: her best friend, who had committed suicide several years prior. Her quest sent her to a spot with a raven flying by, and the animal dropped a feather. According to the user, “She had said if she were to have a spirit animal it would be a raven.”
The Original Rando Nauts
And while Randonauting has become vastly more popular in recent times (the app has been downloaded by upwards of 8 million people globally), the pursuit itself is actually nothing new. In fact, people have been practicing the hobby in some form for years.
Updating The Craft
According to the founder himself, “Before the app, the community was smaller and generally made up of curiosity seekers.” Of course, these previous adventurers didn’t have exact locations to visit; they simply explored on their own. The addition of set coordinates lends itself to some pretty creepy occurrences.
Things Are Getting Creepier
One Randonaut was led directly to the grave of her late grandfather. Another followed the navigator straight to the headstones of two relatives she’d never heard of until then. A third one chose "joy" as her intention and wound up in front of the grave of a woman named — you guessed it — Joy.
Scientific Explanations?
While these events are undoubtedly spine-chilling, one physics professor from the University of Illinois, Smitha Vishveshwara, has an explanation for them. "When you are truly observing, [the mind] can experience wonderful, strange feelings in and of themselves,” she says. However, the traumatic journey that one group of teens was led on simply can’t be explained away.
Innocent Beginnings
Some young friends from Seattle were out exploring using the app, just to break up the quarantine blues. They set their intention and ended up driving out near the shoreline, via Randonautica’s instructions. So far, everything was fun and games. Who doesn’t like the beach?
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Getting Closer
Piling out of the car, the teens talked excitedly about what they might find when they arrived at the coordinates. Whatever they were expecting, it surely wasn’t what they ultimately found. They noticed a nearby bridge, and wandered towards it. They were nearing the spot.
A Strange Discovery
To their delight, beneath the bridge was a large black suitcase. This was really happening—they’d found something! The friends discussed what might be inside. Perhaps they had stumbled upon a bag full of money, they thought.
Moment Of Truth
One brave member of the group picked up a nearby stick and began to jokingly poke at the bag. Then, they decided to unzip it. What they noticed next will likely stay with them for the rest of their lives.
"Open It"
Inside the suitcase was a black garbage bag. All of a sudden an overwhelming stench rose into the air. It smelled like something rotten. Quickly the mood shifted from childish excitement to something closer to fear. “Wait, open it. It stinks y’all!” one of them encouraged.
Things Get Real
However the rest of the group knew they’d gone too far. They had a nasty feeling about what might be lurking inside the bag, but they didn’t want to confirm their worst suspicions. Instead, they called the police.
Horrific Realizations
Stunningly, Seattle officers would go on to confirm that the contents of the bag were in fact human remains, belonging to 35-year-old Jessica Lewis and 27-year-old Austin Wenner — victims of an ongoing murder case. The teens were traumatized, but the story doesn’t end there.
Sick Crimes
Apparently, there was more than one bag containing human corpses in the area. The victims had all died from gunshot wounds, and their killer was yet to be found. No one could have expected this, least of all the app creators themselves. Randonautica quickly responded to the tragic events.
Addressing The Horrors
“Our first reaction was to reach out to the teenagers to make sure they were doing alright. We sent a message letting them know the intention of Randonautica is not to find something disturbing like this,” it said. Unfortunately, this is one Randonautica adventure the kids will never forget.
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