SALT LAKE CITY -- Brian Jones lost his mother in January, leaving behind his 88-year-old father; he decided to move across the country to be with his father, but tragedy struck when he stopped in Salt Lake City.
Jones hooked up a U-Haul trailer to tow his second car and began his journey from Amana Colonies, Iowa to Oakland, California.
But his car broke down in Salt Lake City and after it was fixed, he decided to stay for a couple of nights at the Ramada Inn at 2455 South State St. before he finished his trip.
When Jones woke up Saturday, he found that nearly everything he owned was gone.
“I got five feet about from the door and realized that the spot was empty,” he said. “I had my small duffel bag, dropped it on the ground, and just stood there and stared in disbelief."
His GMC Yukon that was towing a Honda Civic on a U-Haul trailer were both gone, along with tools, clothes and other possessions.
But he said that's not what matters.
“More than anything is I’ve lost all my memories of my children, pictures and things they gave me when they were children and pictures and videos of my mom before she passed away,” he said. “And I own nothing now except for a little tiny duffel bag.”
The good news is, thanks to a Fox 13 viewer, he got most of it back.
"Then I noticed the story on the 9 o-clock news and said, 'Well, that`s been sitting outside for two days, wow this is going to be cool, get the guy his things back," Jeff Casey said.
Officers said even though they found the SUV, they haven't found the Honda or the U-Haul trailer.
If you have any information in this case, Salt Lake officers said they would like to speak with you.
