Thief steals thousands of dollars of family valuables from Colorado Springs hotel

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) - A family is working to replace thousands of dollars of personal belongings after a brazen thief broke in and stole from a Colorado Springs hotel.

The thief caught on camera, took almost everything Rhonda Stuckey's family had, including sensitive documents.

The Colorado Springs Police Department said the theft happened in the early morning hours of August 9 at the Staybridge Suites Colorado Springs on Commerce Center Drive. The thief broke into locked guest storage closets, which are inside the hotel near guest rooms, according to CSPD.

Some of Stuckey's most valuable possession was stored as her family is in the process of relocating to Oklahoma.

"Birth certificates, passports, everything we had was with us and she came in and broke the lock and steals all of your stuff," Stuckey said.

Surveillance video provided to KRDO by Stuckey, appears to show the female thief making multiple trips out to the hotel parking lot while carrying Stuckey's belongings.

"She changed into our clothes. In the video, she comes out in one of our hoodies like she has not a care in the world that she has taken something from a whole family," Stuckey said.

According to CSPD, the theft spree spanned over a three day period and all guest storage closets were broken into on each floor of the Staybridge Suites Colorado Springs North. Investigators told KRDO the thief primarily stole electronics, clothes, and paperwork.

"It just hurt my heart. All of my things from when my kids were little, things that were very important to me that are irreplaceable," Stuckey said.

Stuckey took her concerns to hotel management after learning a police report was filed in late February for a case of someone breaking into the same hotel guests closets.

The General Manager of Staybridge Suites confirmed to KRDO that the hotel is not responsible for the thousands of dollars of Stuckey's items that were stolen because she signed a waiver freeing them of liability. The manager also said he feels bad that Stuckey's belongings were stolen and called it an 'unprecedented' situation, despite the fact police say similar break-ins took place at the same location in February.

It's unclear how the woman got inside the hotel, but hotel management believes she may have been staying at the hotel under a false name.

Stuckey remains hopeful sharing her experience will help police catch the thief to prevent it from happening to someone else.

"Those things won't mean anything to her and we probably will never see them again unless somebody finds her with our stuff," Stuckey said.

If you have any information about this case please contact the Colorado Springs Police Department.