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Father Left Homeless After Trailer Stolen

By Dillon Thomas

FORT COLLINS, Colo. (CBS4) – A man says he is now homeless after his 31-foot-long trailer was stolen Sunday morning. The trailer, which has a drawing of an eagle on it, was stolen in a western Fort Collins neighborhood.

Owner Chris Trimble told CBS4's Dillon Thomas he recently purchased the trailer after going through a divorce. He said he planned to take the trailer to Fremont County, where he owns property to build a home on. He spent $15,000 on the trailer.

However, the morning he planned to leave for Southern Colorado a friend he was staying with woke him up with bad news.

"He said, 'Your camper is gone,'" Trimble said. "I thought, you got to be kidding me."

Trimble said his trailer was there around 1:30 a.m. Sunday when he went to bed in a friend's home. He left the trailer plugged in, with blocks holding it in place.

"I had absolutely no thought of it ever being stolen," Trimble said. "It requires a specialized hitch to pull it, because it is so big."

When Trimble went outside around 8 a.m., he found the blocks that were under the wheels crushed, tire marks on the roadway and the extension cord lying in the road.

Trimble told police he thought the thieves drove off with the trailer without considering moving the blocks or power lines.

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"It is hard to believe that something like this could happen in a neighborhood just blocks away from a school, and a one of Fort Collins' biggest parks," Trimble said. "That is my home. I have no idea what I am going to do."

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Trimble said he can no longer move to Fremont County and is without a place to stay while he builds his home.

"I worked very hard for that camper, and I have a little girl who needs that camper," Trimble said. "I need that camper to live."

Trimble admitted he made several mistakes, leading up to the eventual theft of his property. He said he didn't have insurance, as he recently purchased the camper. Also, he neglected to put a lock on the hitch, which may have prevented such an easy steal.

While asking for the public to help him find his home, he also encouraged others to consider getting insurance for their property.

Dillon Thomas is a reporter at CBS4 and a Colorado native. He believes everyone has a story, and would love to share yours! You can find more of his stories by following him on Twitter, @DillonMThomas.

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