Pop-up Robbery - Kings Dominion Campground

[nuttymomof2many]

Now all of you can say you know of a pop-up being robbed.....

Camping at Kings Dominion Campground in Doswell, VA.  After a full day at the amusement park, returned at 8:15pm to find our pop-up ransacked and robbed.  When reporting to campground management an employee said to us "WOW!  You're the second one!  Someone else was robbed last night."

Long story short, 3' vertical x 2' horizontal cut made through the screen/vinyl/window next to the door.  Apparently they didn't know pop-ups as they could've just un-velcro-ed around the door frame to unlock the door.

The got the cash, walkie talkies with recharge base, cell phone and charger, kids PS2 w/controllers and games, and all the kids gameboys w/games.  Also stole a backpack...apparently to carry it all.  Didn't touch the TV or anything else large.

With the damage to the vinyl and inside the camper, repairs approx. $600 including labor.  (Thank goodness for insurance.)  The theft, though, falls under homeowners and has a large deductible.

Point is, ours was the second pop-up sliced and ransacked in two days.  Kings Dominion park didn't seem to care and we didn't witness any increase in their "security" patrols.  In fact, sometimes their little white "security" truck never even came to our section of the campground.

30+ years camping and never even heard of this.  Only thing that keeps me from letting it dampen our camping is that this campground seems to be used almost exclusively for the amusement park, so everyone I talked to had been at the park during the day when the theft occurred.  Ghost town during the day.  

The county investigator has been able to use the cell phone records to find the name of the individual.  He's hopeful to make an arrest soon.  Doubt he still has any of our stuff and now we'll have to plan another trip to testify.  SIGH.

Just want to warn everyone to NEVER use Kings Dominion Campground.  They were completely insesitive and uncaring of what happened.  I'm going to post this incident whereever I can to keep it from happening to anyone else!

[AustinBoston]

Just want to warn everyone to NEVER use Kings Dominion Campground.  They were completely insesitive and uncaring of what happened.  I'm going to post this incident whereever I can to keep it from happening to anyone else!

Do exactly that.  Thanks.

While the campground's legal obligation to provide protection may be limited or non-existent, sometimes the attitude of the staff or certain staff members is indicative of who may be to blame for the theft itself.

One of the best security measures I know of is secrecy - make sure nobody knows you have certain valuables.  The person probably picked your camper because they had seen the gameboys or heard the PS2 on the TV.

I don't know of any reason to ever leave cash in a pop-up unattended.  We used to carry traveler's checks, but now we just have a bank card and a credit card for backup, and a modest amount of cash on us.

I think you are right that the person knew nothing about pop-ups.  I know I would never bother to slash through the canvas.

Austin

[leefamfun]

Just want to warn everyone to NEVER use Kings Dominion Campground.  They were completely insesitive and uncaring of what happened.  I'm going to post this incident whereever I can to keep it from happening to anyone else![/QUOTE]


I'm so sorry! We had our car broken into in our driveway just 3 weeks ago.Unfortunately,my DW had her project bag (contained money,bank cards,etc...) in the car.I know too well the violated feeling. Sorry that you have to deal with it! Camping last weekend,I heard some noise outside our pup.(nothing new,right?) Break in still fresh,I thought someone was making off with our generator.I grabbed a light and went blazing out the door to find a moose relaxing next to our pup. I hope things get back to normal for you and your family.As for Kings Dominion and good ole' Doswell,VA,you wouldn't be missing much if you never went there.I'm originally from southern MD.Have a lot of family in that area of VA.Unfortunately,the type of reaction you received from the c.g. folkes is typical for that area.Sorry if I've offended anyone from there. I have shared your post with many camp friends.Many of us will post comments on other sites.Including King's Dominion and Doswell COC sites.Will not use your post as example. Take care and good luck!
  Note: The jerks that violated us are in jail.Their first arraignment for felony fraud is Sept.4.The felony is that they used the bank card.They were caught via video cams at the bank and the car wash next to the bank.

[sewserious]

As i answered on another board, it isn't the campgrounds fault.  As the previous poster showed, this could happen at your home.

Valuables left out in a PUP are very tempting to a theif.  Hide them in the tow vehicle.  I would imagine that the thief just walked around looking for whatever was the "best" they could find to take, and you left it right there for them.  I am, again, sorry this happened to you, but you need to learn a lesson from it, lock up your valuables and don't leave them in plain site in an unsecured location!

[austinado16]

Man am I sorry to hear about this.  That's the unspoken rule of camping too.  Sounds like they are youngish kids, 20 or less, considering what was taken.  Wouldn't surprise me if they were camped near you, or are related to staff at the CG.

If they are caught, push the district attorney's office (or whatever the procecutor's office is called) to seek full restitution as part of their sentence and probation terms.

[kimrb266]

Our TV was broken into a few years ago a few miles from home while we were on our way to a camping trip.  We stopped for lunch and parked very close to the establishment.  Within 2 minutes of DH getting inside the restaurant, someone asked if the truck outside was ours, of course it was.  They broke the passenger window and only took my craft bag.  It meant nothing to him but alot to me.  They caught the car on video but it wasn't too clear.  We had to try and salvage our trip for the kids' sake so we had the window repaired and arrived at the campground extremely late.  Since this has happened, the kids are afraid to go back to the fast food restaurant (we don't want to go back either).

We went camping in Yosemite a couple weeks' ago and I was afraid that someone would take our new generator that we kept underneith our trailer.  DH tied it down with the bike lock that I purchased to lock up our bikes.   Of course, it wasn't stolen but when something useful is out, it may attract the wrong type of people.

[robpoe]

April of 2006, I was at dinner with my brother.  We ate and talked, and I got home around 10:45 or so.  I noticed my front porch light was out, made a mental note that it needed to be replaced.  Noticed the side door light was out too (sliding door).  Got into the house (and I'm ashamed to say that it was a mess before, so I didn't notice anything out of the ordinary, except that the little wooden door to the hot water / computer service / electrical closet was open.  But the cat opens that sometimes.  I noticed a drawer on my buffet open, and thought that I needed to chastise my son.

Got into my office, and something was clearly wrong.  The desk drawers were open, stuff was spread about, and the closet door was open.  I was thinking "Good golly, what in the hell was the cat DOING while we were gone?"

I turned around and looked into my room, and noticed two things.  First, the bed was turned over, and the mini blinds were open.  The fear prickled down my neck, and I yelled for the kids to go back and get into the truck and lock the door.  I dialed 911 on the phone, as I was telling them, I grabbed my pistol (which was pretty much in plain sight - on a high shelf in a locked case - but plain sight) and threw a clip into it, and searched the house as I was on with 911.  They asked if anyone was in there, and I said I was searching it at gunpoint, and if they heard a boom, then the answer was YES.

The cat was - probably rightly - freaked out.  He wouldn't come down from on top of the entertainment center.

It only took the police 2 1/2 hours to get there (sigh).  By then the adrenaline had worn off, and I was starting to get that violated feeling.  They made off with 2 laptops, a foot massager (why?), a single shot target pistol (.22) and a few other little items.  They had unlocked and ripped the screen from my office window, and they had several computers lined up to load out.

However, they got spooked.  I found out from the neighbor that she heard voices from my house area.  She turned on the porch light and went out for a smoke.  While she was out, she heard sirens to the east, and then a moment or two later there was a cop that went up the next street, lights blazing and the spotlight looking around.

Then my phone rang.  One of my friends had called me, and the burglars PICKED UP THE PHONE and hung it back up again.  That's probably when they beat the hell out of there.

Before all that happened, my cat was friendly to anyone, no matter the race.  Now he is wary of strangers.  The interesting part, is the darker the skin color, the more likely he is now to attack a person.  He is the most violent towards African Americans.  He will hiss, growl, spit and attack, though the farther away the memory for him, the less likely he is to do those things..  Visitors have to be introduced slowly..

So it affected us all.  I won't even go into the holy hell I went through with the insurance company, trying to get them to honor their policy (State Farm) - which I was never able to get them to do (they buried me in paperwork, rejecting the stuff I sent in several times).

They got in through the sliding door.  Folks, if you have a sliding door, do two things SOON if not SOONER.  First - get a Charlie bar.  USE THE CHARLIE BAR.  And second, get a handy(wo/man) to open the door, and install screws in the top track.  Tighten the screws but leave enough that the door can close, but cannot be lifted up in it's track.  Don't EVER rely on the factory installed locks.  They can be defeated by simply lifting up on the door handle.

[AustinBoston]

So it affected us all.  I won't even go into the holy hell I went through with the insurance company, trying to get them to honor their policy (State Farm) - which I was never able to get them to do (they buried me in paperwork, rejecting the stuff I sent in several times).

Three words.  State Insurance Commissioner.

Austin

[wavery]

I dialed 911 on the phone, as I was telling them, I grabbed my pistol (which was pretty much in plain sight - on a high shelf in a locked case - but plain sight) and threw a clip into it, and searched the house as I was on with 911.  They asked if anyone was in there, and I said I was searching it at gunpoint, and if they heard a boom, then the answer was YES.

It only took the police 2 1/2 hours to get there (sigh).  

If you would have fired a round, then hung up the phone, they'd have been there in 2 minutes.

Really sorry to hear about these types of incidents. I'm in my 60's.....sailed around the world twice for 14 years...spent many years living in 3rd-world-countries...I've now lived in an apartment in Beverly Hills for 8 years (I manage the building). Through all of this, I never had anything stolen and nothing has ever been stolen in my building. I can't identify with what you have been through but it must be horrible.

I will agree with a previous poster. Don't leave things in plain sight. If you look in any of my cars, it will be empty and I don't lock my doors. No one needs to break my windows to look for something. All they need to do is open the door. To my knowledge, no one has ever bothered.

When we are camping, we do lock up the TV and I try to keep anything of value (like our generator) in the TV, covered up, at night.

[AustinBoston]

>

Austin

[Tim5055]

With the damage to the vinyl and inside the camper, repairs approx. $600 including labor.  (Thank goodness for insurance.)  The theft, though, falls under homeowners and has a large deductible.

You should be able to get that for a lot less than $600.  Both Canvas Replacements and Bear Creek can replace a single panel.   A full canvas replaceent is around $800 or $900, so one panel should be a ot less.

Just an idea.....

[campdaddy]

I too am sorry to hear about this happening to you and I know what that feeling of being violated is like. Years ago I had an automobile broken into and an expensive sound system stolen. That sudden realization that you really are more vulnerable than you thought can be overwhelming. What made it even worse was the police came out and "took a statement" and nonchalantly told me that I'll probably never get my stuff back. Man! I was ticked off; now at both the police and the thieves. I wanted them to roll out with a full blown CSI; dust for prints, look for DNA, something! Anything! other than just "take a statement" and tell me I'm out of luck.

As I have grown older I have become more and more cautious. DW and I have taken measures to provide for our family's personal protection and while we think that generally the police do a good job, sometimes even a 5 minute wait can be too long. I have only once ever felt threatened at a campground and have never had anything stolen, but we still take measures for personal protection and we always lock valuables and electronics in the TV and chain the bicycles down.

Please follow up with additional information when you find out more. I would be quite surprised if it turns out to be other campers or even their children. Most likely locals looking for an opportunity by preying on campers. You mentioned that the campground is near an amusement park, I'm sure they knew that campers staying there would likely be gone all day at the park. Again, I'm sorry and please follow up as you find out more about the perps.

[ScouterMom]

We've never had anything stolen in some 40+ yrs of  tent or PUP camping, but then, we also never leave our site looking 'tempting'.  We will leave things of minimal value in the tent or pup, but I was raised as a tent camper, and taught that you never know what the WEATHER might do, so never to leave anything loose or damageable in a tent while you are away.  This mostly meant packing things up against water damage, or the need to move a campsite quickly because of water or wind, etc.  So I've also taught my son, friends and scouts to keep things packed up and put away - even though we tend to be messy and scatter stuff all over at home!

A scouting rule against electronics while camping holds on our personal camping trips, too.  the scout exception being things that 'enhance' nature & safety, like digital cameras, GPS units, & walkie-talkies.  Even on personal camping trips, the most we might bring along is a CD/ Radio for music.

anything of value gets locked in the van or car when we leave the campsite, and in the vehicle, things are packed away in the trunk or out of sight.

My camper doesn't lock, but even when I had a camper that did, I seldom locked it. but then. we generally don't leave our campsite for all day, either.  If we did, I  think I would pretty much close up the site and take almost everything of value with us.

laura

[nuttymomof2many]

Thanks to everyone who responded, especially those who understand the violated feeling.  The worse was when the investigator talked to my husband about checking for "bodily fluids" on our bed.  He said if it was teenagers, sometimes they're just looking for a hidden space to have "fun" at.  Like I was able to sleep with THAT thought.
Now, so all of you don't think I'm a total idiot....I've always been pretty good about not leaving anything of value.  Over the years ya get a bit complacent.  You take things for granted.  The cell phone was in the camper to charge since I had people caring for our animals while we were away and if they had any problems, that would be how they contacted us.  The walkie talkie also were charging.  
The PS2 system, controllers and games were in the bench compartment as that's where I packed them for the trip and never gave it another thought since we didn't encounter rain storms that stuck all 7 of us in the camper for a day.
The money?  Well, that was just stupidity on my part. (Hanging head in shame.)
Austinboston, noone could've known what we had in our camper unless they came in and looked around inside as we had just gotten in the night before and setup.  The kids were so tired, after setup and eating they went straight to bed to prepare for the big day!!  They didn't even pull out their gameboys.  The only thing sitting out was the cell phone and Walkietalkies, and even then I had them behind the TV.  You couldn't see them from outside the camper.
Tim, the cost to replace the panel is only $215.  Only 5 mth old camper.  Shipping is $25 and will take 5-6 weeks as they have to make it.  The rest of the cost is for repair of the gouges in the cabinettes, rips to the cushions, realigning the door (tried to pry it first before they cut vinyl), tore out the fire extingisher, CO detector, LP Detector, and bent the jack holder on the door.  Because, when I say ransacked, I meant distroyed.
Campdaddy, it was CSI.  Although their investigation took over 3 hrs, my kids so enjoyed the investigator showing how he mixes the compound to make a mold of the pry marks on the door, how he processes a scene and how he dusts for fingerprints.  Speaking of which, DOES ANYONE KNOW HOW TO REMOVE FINGERPRINT DUST FROM VINYL???  (Dealer said to ask the cops as he has no clue.)

As far as additional info, at this point, they have a suspect.  He used my cell phone to make calls and they were able to get his name.  He apparently wasn't a camper in the campground (?) and had also stolen from somesort of rope course that was next door.  There, along with other things, he stole a credit card.  They're hoping to get video on him where he made purchases.  The investigator thinks the water bottle he left at our campsite is from the theft of the ropecourse.  So it will help tie the crimes together.  Yes, the odds of us getting our stuff back is almost "nil".
I guess my posting was to remind everyone not to get too complacent and to warn them NOT to use Kings Dominion Campground.  They honestly seemed not to care.  Even my correspondence with them since I got back home continue to be that attitude.  It's a shame since it was such a beautiful park with lots of rides we enjoyed.

[nuttymomof2many]

After posting I was catching up on the other postings on the board and read the thread "Good People"
I've been so caught up in the bad, I almost forgot the wonderful people I met with my experience.
When reporting the theft at the campground office, there was a sweet gentleman who had just checked in and stuck around to listen.  After we reported the theft, he came up, offered his apologies for what happened then asked us if we needed a phone? To stay in his TT? Some money? anything?  He kept trying to give us money!  Only a fellow camper!!!!
When walking around talking to the few other campers at the campground, almost EVERYONE asked us if we needed anything.  One even told us to come back the next night for dinner.  
One camper told us the next day that she stuck around while her family went to the park so that maybe she could see the guy robbing anyone else and have the security catch him.
NO, the robbery will not ruin my love of camping.   Just make me a little wiser and a little less attached to material things.