Thieves Take A Couple's U-Haul, Then They Realize They're In Way Over Their Heads

It all began on a warm spring day as the couple sped along the New Mexico highway, the small U-Haul trailer bouncing in rhythm behind them. The pair had hoped to reach their destination within the day, though as the sun began to set, they decided they'd be better off striking out again in the morning.

They opted to crash at the Residence Inn in Albuquerque, leaving their SUV and the trailer in the hotel lot for the night. But when the couple returned for their vehicle the next day, their hearts sank.

Not only had the trailer been stolen, but their SUV was gone too! Panicked, the couple raced back to the hotel and immediately phoned local police. They knew that this wasn't going to be your ordinary stolen vehicle report.

The officers wasted no time in setting out to find the missing vehicles, though when pressed about the contents of the trailer, the couple hesitated. Evidently, it wasn't exactly furniture they were moving.

With that in mind, the cops sprung into action, scouring the area for any sign of the SUV or the trailer. Fortunately, several of the guests at the Residence Inn had noticed something strange that morning.

A suspicious-looking red pickup truck had been seen in the area shortly before the theft, leading the officers to run their database for clues. Sure enough, the red truck came up — it was also listed as stolen.

An APB alert went out immediately, and before long, the red truck was spotted a town over. Officers converged on the stolen vehicle, though, unsurprisingly, the thieves weren't about to go down without a fight.

The driver floored it, speeding off and leading a swarm of police cars on a high-speed chase along a nearby highway. Officers attempted to pull alongside the truck, though each time the vehicle swerved to hit them — clearly, these criminals did not want to be caught.

But as the chase continued and more police cars joined the pursuit, it became painfully obvious to the thieves that they weren't going to get away. And so, the truck pulled off into a nearby neighborhood and the perpetrators finally gave themselves up.

They were identified as Jeremy Soliz, Anthony Serna, and Daniel Gonzales, three career criminals with records as thick as phonebooks. It was obvious that these men had stolen the red truck they were apprehended in — the SUV and U-Haul, however, were a different story.

With both vehicles unaccounted for, it would be nearly impossible to pin these men to the theft, especially since the officers had no hard evidence to follow. Even in custody, Soliz and Gonzalez refused to acknowledge the SUV and trailer, though there was still a wildcard in play.

Serna, it seemed, was a bit shakier on the subject, with Soliz and Gonzalez privately worrying their accomplice might spill his guts. Sensing this opportunity, prosecutors separated Serna from his partners and sat him down for questioning — sure enough, they broke him.

The criminal fully admitted to stealing the couple's SUV and trailer along with the red truck, leading to the trio's swift conviction on multiple auto theft charges. Not only that, but he also gave law enforcement the final piece to the puzzle: the vehicles' location.

Within minutes, patrolling officers were able to track down the SUV and trailer abandoned on a quiet neighborhood street just a few blocks from the Residence Inn. They approached slowly, fully aware that they could be walking right into a trap.

Fortunately, the SUV was clean, and after dusting it for prints, they confirmed that Serna, Soliz, and Gonzalez were the culprits. But before they could log this crucial bit of evidence, there was just one last thing the officers had to do.

Crossing to the back of the U-Haul, the officers discovered that the lock was busted, meaning the criminal trio had managed to get inside. Hoping to take stock of what they'd left behind, the cops threw open the door — and let out an audible gasp.

There, smack dab in the middle of the trailer, was a full-size casket. The officers froze, then considered this all just might be some kind of elaborate prank... until they saw the body inside.

The criminals, too, had seen the body, which was the main reason why they decided to leave the vehicles behind and get the heck out of dodge. Fortunately, there was a perfectly good explanation for the casket in the U-Haul.

The body in the couple's trailer was actually that of the woman's father, who had died just days earlier. With no cemeteries nearby, the pair had set out across New Mexico to find a proper burial site for their lost loved one.

With the SUV and trailer returned, the woman laid her father to rest, and the three criminals were put behind bars. Odds are they learned a valuable lesson about checking the contents of the vehicle you're stealing, as you might be biting off a bit more of a criminal charge than you bargained for. That was the case for another thief who attempted to steal a vehicle that wasn't exactly 'empty.'

The thief also was dealt another blow to his plan — he was spotted by construction worker Colin Blevin. Colin hadn't anticipated playing the hero when he arrived at work early that morning. But the voice in his head made it clear: he was witnessing a crime in progress, and he needed to act fast.

It started like any normal day for Colin. He arrived at his job at Ciarra Construction promptly at 7 a.m. but immediately felt something was wrong. There, blocking the entrance to the construction firm's lot with his car, was a man he'd later come to learn was named Raymond Randy Gutierrez. Colin knew all of the employees at the company, and this man wasn't one of them. He also was behaving oddly.

Colin noticed that the man had an awkward gait and was muttering to himself. Something about this guy wasn't right, Colin could feel it. It seemed like he was under the influence of drugs, but Colin slowly approached him anyway.

Colin didn't plan on confronting Raymond. He just needed him to move his car, a 1992 white Honda Accord, so he could get into the lot. But even before saying anything, Colin noticed something unusual about the man's vehicle...

The back door of the Accord was cracked open, and inside was a baby (pictured here)! Alarm bells immediately went off in Colin's head. Even though he didn't know Raymond, he had a strong inkling the baby didn't belong to him. And if it was Raymond's baby, was he in good enough shape to take care of the tyke?

Raymond was jittery and disheveled, but the baby looked well cared for. Something about this whole situation wasn't sitting right with Colin, and as soon as the man moved the car, he did something that left the construction worker in shock...

To Colin's complete disbelief, the man moved his car, immediately got out of it, and he started breaking into another car, right in front of Colin! As Colin was watching in awe, a woman named Mamas Ramirez approached him and said something horrifying...

She told Colin the drug-addled man knocked on her RV door not long before Colin arrived at work and tried to pawn the child off on her! For a number of reasons, this made Colin sick.

Colin had a daughter of his own, and he knew that this baby's family was probably worried sick. Colin approached Raymond and demanded answers.

"Is this your baby?" Colin forcefully asked. Raymond said no, and told Colin the person who let him borrow the vehicle accidentally left the child in the backseat. Colin knew Raymond was lying, but what actually happened?

Colin grabbed the baby out of the back seat and told Raymond he was calling the police. Raymond was guilty of several crimes, so it wasn't surprising when he jumped back in the white Accord and fled. But, it wouldn't be long before Raymond was nabbed and the truth came out.

Police tracked Raymond down and arrested him. As it turned out, Raymond was a 43-year-old homeless man who had a reputation around the area for causing trouble. How exactly did he get his hands on a child in the first place?

Apparently, the rightful owner of the Honda Accord left his car running for mere minutes right outside his home when Raymond struck. He jumped in the car and drove off, taking the innocent child along for the ride.

When Soledad police finally spoke to Colin about the situation, they told him an AMBER Alert had been out for the child for several hours before Colin found him.

Colin was stunned; he had no idea that the situation was already on the officers' radar! But believe it or not, that wasn't even the craziest part of the whole incident...

That morning, Colin was suffering from a sore hip, and he almost didn't go into work so he could rest. However, he had too much to do, and for that reason alone, he was able to save a life.

After a thorough medical checkup, the eight-month-old infant was returned to his family. The Department of Justice awarded Colin the Missing Children's Citizen Award for his intuition and quick thinking. But Colin didn't see it as anything particularly heroic...He just hoped others would intervene if they noticed something that seemed not quite right.