Self storage doesn’t often hit the headlines for its involvement in outrageous news events but believe it or not, has had its fair share of thrills over the years. Below are just a few of the most adventurous tales that have rocked the world of self storage.
Master thief
A 17 year-old boy from America had a penchant for pulling off theatrical heists. In one of his most ambitious, he rappelled onto the floor of a Lamborghini showroom in order to steal a car belonging to a celebrity chef. He kept the impressive vehicle in a self-storage unit and would occasionally take it out for drives. The teenager had a knack for getting himself into all sorts of trouble including attempting to kill someone in a drive-by shooting, breaking into mansions and holding multiple fake IDs. Unsurprisingly, he eventually got caught and is now serving up to 30 years in prison.
The organ hoarder
When a man living in Florida bid for and won a storage unit, he was probably hoping to find a few hidden treasures. Unfortunately, he was instead greeted with a unit full of human remains including hearts, lungs and brains. It turned out that the unit belonged to a doctor who had lost his licence and been fired. Believe it or not he was only charged with the improper storage of hazardous waste and keeping a public nuisance and was later released on bail.
The snake keeper
As he was in violation of his rental agreement, a man decided to rent a storage unit to keep his six pet snakes in. Obviously he didn’t want them to get cold so he installed a whole load of 100-watt light bulbs and several heat lamps. Unsurprisingly, the man’s DIY skills weren’t as well-constructed as he thought and a short circuit in his electrical equipment caused the unit to burst into flames. 32 units were destroyed in total but neither local law enforcement or animal control decided to press charges.
The pillow thief
Pillow Pets is a popular brand of animal-shaped pillows in the US and after only three weeks on the job a salesman was terminated for not sharing profits with the company. He went on to secure another job as a fitness trainer in the same building as Pillow Pet. It was later discovered that the former employee had been breaking into the warehouse and had stolen more than $85,000 worth of the stuffed items. He faced charges of grand theft and burglary and was sentenced to nearly five years in prison.