A truck parked outside Whistle Workwear in SoDo was broken into last weekend during what the owner says was a roughly twenty-minute errand -- enough time for someone to take a backpack and a bag holding, among other things, two pieces of irreplaceable camera gear: an all-black Pentax LX 35mm film camera loaded with a partially shot roll of film, and a Sony DVD Handycam.

The loss goes beyond the gear's dollar value. The owner's grandfather had bought the Pentax new decades ago and carried it regularly ever since. Along with that family history and the unprocessed roll in the Pentax, the theft took years of video of friends and family stored on the Handycam. Whoever has the gear now likely has no idea there are irreplaceable photos and footage sitting inside it.

For many Seattle drivers, losses like this have become part of the background. With little expectation of recovering their belongings, drivers frequently leave the thefts unreported. One other driver described a vehicle broken into twice in the same year and said they were certain the culprits lived in a nearby RV, with no apparent consequence either time.

The break-in follows a pattern longtime residents know well: even a brief stop leaves a vehicle vulnerable to a prowl in a semi-industrial area, where foot and vehicle traffic provide cover. SoDo sees these thefts regularly, with workers running short errands and vehicles parked for stretches near retail and industrial storefronts.

After a theft, a police report should include serial numbers if they are available. The owner said in hindsight that those numbers should have been written down beforehand. Community recovery groups are another avenue: Seattle Area Bike Recovery Efforts, despite its name, has a track record of helping track down other kinds of stolen gear through resale listings that go well beyond bikes. Pawn shops are legally required to run items through a police database before buying them, which is why they ask for ID at the counter -- a real, if imperfect, backstop if the camera or Handycam ever surfaces for sale.

Leaving nothing valuable visible in a parked car is the precaution these thefts underscore, even during a brief stop. For those already affected, that warning comes too late. Anyone who spots a black-bodied Pentax LX or an older Sony Handycam turning up secondhand -- at a pawn shop, a camera store, or listed online -- is being asked to flag it, on the chance it still makes its way back.

This report reflects early witness accounts and community reports; it had not been independently confirmed by police as of publication. Source.