KAMAS — The Wasatch County Sheriff's Office is warning trailer owners — particularly those who leave their recreation campers in the wilderness during the week — to protect themselves from theft.
Last week, up to 10 trailers were broken into in the Soapstone Pass area above Kamas.
William Jeff Price said three of his family's trailers were hit.
"They went through every cupboard, every drawer, every outside compartment," he said.
The thieves got away with about $7,000 in property, including bows, ATVs, motorcycles, binoculars, chainsaws and a generator.
"I just feel violated," Price said.
The most sentimental items stolen were the ones that belonged to his young son and daughter — his new bow and her new motorcycle.
Price said his family has gone camping regularly for many years and has always left their trailers at campsites so they didn't have to haul them back and forth every weekend. He said he knew the risks, but next year he'll start taking the extra effort to pack everything up and take it with them.
"Unfortunately, it seems like (the burglars) were pretty efficient in how they did their business," said Wasatch County Sheriff's Chief Deputy Jared Rigby.
Not only did the burglars hit at a time when the owners were not likely to be around, but they were quite destructive in how they broke into the trailers, he said.
Rigby said extra deputies patrol those areas this time of year to give the department a visible presence in an effort to deter thieves. But he encouraged all recreationists to lock their vehicles when they plan to be away from them and be alert to their surroundings.
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