MEEKER | A couple’s trip took an unexpected turn when their truck was stolen overnight outside the La Quinta Inn on Tower Road in Denver.
Flip Phillippi had planned to take his wife, Tonie Phillippi, to the airport the following morning. However, they woke up to find their vehicle missing.
“When the police came at 1 a.m., they said, ‘Well, there’s no camera, so we can’t help you.’ All they did was fill out the paperwork,” Phillippi said.
Despite the setback, Phillippi was able to get his wife to the airport using the hotel’s shuttle service. He then had to find a way back to Meeker, which turned into a logistical challenge.
“I had to rent a car that got me as far as the Hayden airport, and then I had to ride a taxi from there,” he said.
A week later, police contacted Phillippi to inform him they had recovered his stolen truck. Since he had already purchased another vehicle so he could haul water, he arranged to retrieve the stolen truck from the impound lot.
“They had wrecked the front end, and they also tore the transmission out of it,” Phillippi said. “Then they parked it in front of a trash can, and the back was full of garbage bags.”
Phillippi coordinated with police to collect the truck, but the process was not straightforward.
“I called the police, and they told me when to come and where it was,” he said. “As soon as I got there, it took them about an hour with their paperwork. Finally, they went out with me to find the truck. We were able to start it, but they wouldn’t let me drive it out because it didn’t have license plates.”
He had to hire a tow truck to move the vehicle just 150 yards out of the lot.
“There were so many difficulties getting it back home,” he said. “It was one of those tow trucks where they put the whole thing on the back. We had to find a transfer station for the garbage, which cost $99, then he took me back and offloaded my truck by my trailer. I had to chain it down and drive home.”
The experience has changed Phillippi’s approach to travel.
“I won’t ever stay in Denver again,” he said. “I’ll drive through the night if I have to. None of those hotels have security cameras, and when the police asked if there were cameras, they said, ‘Well, there’s nothing we can do.’”
Phillippi said the hotel staff was polite but did not check outside.
“I parked it right in front of the door in the light because the back was dark, and I thought, ‘Shoot, somebody will steal it back here,’” he said. “So, I parked in front of the door, where the light was, and they still didn’t check on it.”
He advised others to be cautious when choosing a hotel near the airport.
“Don’t stay in those hotels, no matter how close they are to the airport,” he said. “This was a 20-year-old truck, and I would never have thought they would steal it, but they did.”
Phillippi speculated that his truck was targeted for drug trafficking.
“The only reason they didn’t take it to Mexico is because they ruined the transmission,” he said. “When I got my truck back, there was a lot of drug paraphernalia in it. It was a mess.”
The ordeal cost Phillippi nearly $1,000.
“Between renting a car, the hotel stay, fuel, the tow truck, and repairs, it added up,” he said. “The tow truck alone cost me $350, and they’ll charge you whatever they want.”
Despite the financial burden and frustration, Phillippi was ultimately able to recover his truck and return home to Meeker. Now, he’s more cautious about where he stays and how he secures his belongings. One thing is certain—he won’t be making another overnight stop in Denver anytime soon.
