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I left my vehicle with Professional Valet Services at the Westin Hotel in Detroit the night of the Auto Show Charity Preview. While in their care, the vehicle was broken into, and many of my important valuables were stolen, including a laptop, briefcase, portfolio and other computer equipment totaling over $5000. My vehicle window was smashed, and the door seems to have been pried away from the window. My passport and Nexus cards were taken, which is a federal offense. And worst of all, many irreplaceable files and papers were taken. As you can imagine, this has been an extremely inconvenient and stressful event for me, and extremely time-consuming to replace the stolen items, at least those that can be replaced.

I feel the need to mention the suspicious events surrounding the break-in. I had come directly from work to attend the Auto Show Charity preview, and had my briefcase with me. I also had garment bags and other valuables in the car. Therefore I chose to entrust my vehicle to the Westin Hotel valet service, thinking the vehicle would be secure and safe. When I dropped off the vehicle, I went to the back seat and debated where to leave my briefcase. I first put it under the garment bags on the back seat, then changed my mind and laid it in the floor in the back seat. I have a SUV with blacked-out windows in the back, so it would be impossible for anyone to see into the rear floor area. The valet watched me do this, then I gave him my keys.

When the vehicle was returned to me, the second-row/back seat window was smashed and only the briefcase was taken. Nothing else in the vehicle was disturbed. The garment bags were not moved or unzipped. Two bags in the rear were not disturbed or opened. Store gift cards in the front were not taken. Two expensive pair of sunglasses in the front were still there. The glove boxes did not appear to have been opened, nor was anything else disturbed in the vehicle. In fact, it appears that the thief did not even enter the front of the vehicle.

Now, I’m no thief, but it would seem to me that, if I were to break into a car, I would enter the front and search the entire vehicle for valuables. You never know what you will find, and why not take all the valuables? This thief, on the other hand, smashed the back window and went right for the briefcase, and that’s all he took. Almost like he knew it was there. Where was the security guard? The valet told me it was parked in a secured lot owned by the valet company with a security guard. All highly suspicious.

The owner did call me the next day, but told me this was an issue between me and my insurance companies, and he would cover my deductibles. But not my increased insurance rates...

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