Families left reeling after all their household belongings are stolen in shipping

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - HPD has opened a second-degree theft investigation after multiple military families say they lost all their possessions during transfers to Hawaii.

But it’s still not clear if the container was burglarized or was stolen entirely.

Police said the shipping container was parked on the road in front of a moving company on March 8 and 9. Authorities did not identify the company or the location of the theft.

The families expressed shock after learning their possessions were gone.

“It’s a whole bunch of people’s personal belongings. Like, how do you let that happen?” asked military spouse Nichole Maxwell.

The Maxwell family’s move was organized by a military contractor from Missouri to Kaneohe Marine Corps Air Station.

She said they received an email on Feb. 28 that their shipment was expected to arrive at the Honolulu Port on March 3.

“And then it would take about 10 to 12 days to process and then be delivered to us,” said Maxwell. “So, it was supposed to be delivered late this week, early next week.”

Instead, Maxwell received an unsettling update from their shipping coordinator on Thursday.

“We were notified that the container was stolen,” said Maxwell. “And all our stuff along with four other families’ things were taken.”

Maxwell said almost everything they owned is missing, but she’s most concerned about what’s irreplaceable.

“My sonogram pictures, things that my family had made for my daughter when she was born,” Maxwell said. “All like the cards and gifts that she has made me in the last six years they’re gone.”

Matson said the container was removed by a local moving company from the Matson shipyard at Sand Island in early March.

Earlier this week, Matson was then notified by the company that the container had gone missing.

Maxwell has posted pictures of some of her missing belongings on Stolen Stuff Hawaii and hopes people can help recover them.

“I understand that things go missing in shipment all the time, like random things go come up and go missing, but never everybody’s stuff just gone.”

So far, no arrests have been made.

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