Items Stolen from Student's Luggage

My question involves criminal law for the state of: Nebraska

Dear fellow ladies and gentlemen in the forum,

I am an international student currently studying in Lincoln, Nebraska. Before summer vacation, I left my luggages at the host family house where I was staying during my school year. I just came back for the school year of 2014/2015. I recently asked the host family if they can return my property (the luggages), since I am moving into a new host. They gave my luggages through an agency woman, which is my educational consultant for foreign students, and she brought them to my house. Later when I got my luggages back, I opened them and I thought some items are missing? I constantly checked and checked and further I've realized I have lost so many items that worth up to $7000. I knew that the host stole it, as honestly they were financially poor and are illegal immigrants.

I have told the school about it but they told me to be patient as they would help me, even though I'd like the help from the authorities (police). I find their actions are extremely inappropriate and I am just seriously furious. Therefore, I would really really appreciated to hear from you guys what can I do and what should I do in order to solve this. Sincerely thank you all and I appreciate all the questions and the suggestions.

Sincrely,

An International Student who is trying to calm and not doing any stupid actions.

P.S: there were 2 luggages. One was not locked, and one had a TSA lock but I didn't reset to my own passcode (means that the factory default passcode is 0-0-0)

You can file a police report. You don't need your school's permission to do that.

Next time, don't leave valuables in unlocked luggage.

Thanks a lot for fast reply :) It was my fault but seriously who does that? My concerin is that they had motivation to steal, then they probably could have done something to my stuff?

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Quoting jacksontran41

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I recently asked the host family if they can return my property (the luggages), since I am moving into a new host. They gave my luggages through an agency woman, which is my educational consultant for foreign students, and she brought them to my house. Later when I got my luggages back, I opened them and I thought some items are missing?

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Did all of this happen in the same state?

The problem here, of course, is that your luggage went from the host family's hands to the agency employee, likely from there to wherever the agency stored your luggage, then to your new house, and then to you -- so it appears that quite a few people had access.

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Quoting jacksontran41

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I knew that the host stole it, as honestly they were financially poor and are illegal immigrants.

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Your "knowing" that the host family stole the items is not actually evidence that they did do so. Not every poor person is a thief.

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Quoting jacksontran41

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I have told the school about it but they told me to be patient as they would help me, even though I'd like the help from the authorities (police).

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As you have been told, you may report the theft to the police. If the school agrees with you and hopes to recover the items informally, be aware that the second the thief learns that the police are involved the chance of that happening pretty much vanishes.

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Quoting jacksontran41

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I find their actions are extremely inappropriate and I am just seriously furious.

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It's understandable that you are furious, but at this point you don't actually have proof as to who took the items, or when they were taken.

Thanks a lot for the useful positive reply. Here's a detail that could help: Before I leave, my parents had authorized to the woman agency so that she will take care of my luggages. Meaning from what I think logically is that she has agreed to be responsible for my stuff. However she didnt help bringing my stuff to her house, she just left it at the host for the summer and recently met them to get. Is this going to help anything?
PS does not matter if they stole it or not, but the luggages were at their house, under their control abilities, right?

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Quoting jacksontran41

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However she didnt help bringing my stuff to her house, she just left it at the host for the summer and recently met them to get. Is this going to help anything?

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It doesn't change the fact that the luggage passed through multiple people's hands before it got to you, not just your host family's.

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Quoting jacksontran41

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PS does not matter if they stole it or not, but the luggages were at their house, under their control abilities, right?

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If you're asking whether their having the luggage in their possession means that they are automatically responsible for any theft that occurs while the luggage is in their possession, no, it does not. Depending on the full facts, the duty of the person holding your luggage at no charge to you will range between slight care and ordinary care. At most they have to keep it in a manner similar to which they would store their own suitcases -- not provide special security.

Also, as previously implied, their duty ends the moment the luggage leaves their possession. If anything disappeared from the luggage after the point that the educational consultant picked up the bags, no matter what duty might have previously existed, it's no longer their problem.

Sounds like Im in a bad situation. What is the best thing I can do now and what results I can get from police assistance?

whatever the items are, maybe see if you have serial numbers recorded and try to locate them? pawn shops, craigslist? may be a longshot but if you find any of the items, confirm they were yours, and follow the trail you can find out who actually stole them. if these items are generic and you don't have serial numbers or a way to prove you owned them i'm afraid you may have no hope for recovery.

So you trusted a family that you knew has absolutely no respect for US Federal law to respect state law? :wallbang::wallbang:

So I have talked to the police. So far they told me that the Hispanic host family was denying that they touched any of my stuff. Cops also talked to the agency woman, and she said that she was just the transporter. She basically went to the host to pick up and immediately brought it to me. I could not believe that this case can be this hopeless!!! Here's the thing that makes me really concern:
1. My properties were under possession of the host family.
2. The agency woman had agreed to take care of my stuff before summer vacation (my parents talked to her and she agreed that she would bring it to her house, because it's her job)

It is absolutely obvious that the host family stole it, but what else should I need to prove it legally? It was under their possession, then immediately brought to me by a different person.

I'm very hopeless right now! But I do appreciate the helps and suggestion from all of the fellow forum people. Honestly, what else can I do? I'm willing to file a lawsuit if this thing could not be resolved.

Sincerely,

- - - Updated - - -

The host claimed that they have not touched my luggages as they did not have time????? and they stored it under basement in the room where I was living.

You have no proof who stole it. It might have been one person, it might have been several. Time to move on with your lesson learned.

Oh.. this is the guy who says his host was an illegal alien, changed his mind, and the came back with an answer that was just not correct, at all.

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Quoting jacksontran41

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So I have talked to the police. So far they told me that the Hispanic host family

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The POLICE stated "hispanic host family" or you did? And WHY does them being Hispanic matter?

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Quoting Dogmatique

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Oh.. this is the guy who says his host was an illegal alien, changed his mind, and the came back with an answer that was just not correct, at all.

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I respect your opinion. But seriously if you don't have any suggestions or nice things to say pls dont be so negative, as this situation has already frustrated me enough!

I think that was just superfluous info and the point was they are illegals, which is why one should expect them to have little value in complying with the law since they are openly flaunting the breaking of it already.

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Quoting jimnyc

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The POLICE stated "hispanic host family" or you did? And WHY does them being Hispanic matter?

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Legally I do not have any evidences. However, since my properties were at the host's house for the whole summer meaning that they were accessible to it, can I do something? Let's say they did not steal it. They have the luggages for the whole summer => the woman went pick it up and delivered straight to me => Items are missing => So the stuff just vanished? I would appreciate if there is any option or any thing that I can do!

What part of this do you NOT understand?

You cannot prove the host family stole the items and at least one third party handled it as well. You cannot do anything without proof. You are within your rights to report this to the police if you wish.