Connor Nelson’s California apartment break-in: What happened and what we know so far | Today’s news
Seaman Connor Nelson returned to his California apartment after a 10-month deployment aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln, only to find that his SUV had been stolen and his home ransacked while he was away.
Sailor returns home to a burglary
A California sailor’s homecoming took an unexpected turn when Connor Nelson discovered his apartment had been burglarized after a 10-month deployment aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln, with several belongings and his SUV missing.
Instead, his homecoming quickly turned into a shock. Nelson, who lives in Lemoore, Calif., returned Sunday and first noticed his parking spot was empty. His 1997 Toyota 4Runner was missing.
At first he thought the vehicle might have been towed.
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But when Nelson arrived at his apartment and went to unlock the front door, he realized something was wrong. The door opened without resistance and his belongings were strewn inside and several valuables were missing.
Among the items stolen, Nelson said, were a snowboard, golf clubs, fishing equipment, a laptop, a television, a sound bar, shoes and a hockey jersey.
Because he was deployed for about 10 months, Nelson doesn’t know exactly when the break-in happened. His landlord talked to the neighbors, but no one noticed anything unusual, he said. He was also told that the SUV may have been missing for two or three months prior to his return.
The case has been reported to the police and remains under investigation.
New details emerged after the incident
News of the break-in prompted Nelson’s father, Justin Nelson, to travel from Minnesota to California to help his son deal with the aftermath.
Justin is a Navy veteran who served for 22 years, giving him a personal understanding of what it means to come home after a deployment.
He said coming home is usually a time for a sailor to relax, reconnect with family and friends and feel a sense of accomplishment. For Connor, that experience was marred by a burglary.
According to CBS Minnesota, Connor also had money saved during his deployment and had plans to spend it after he returned home. Instead, some of that money must now go towards replacing things that have been taken away.
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Justin has since started an online fundraiser to help his son recover some of his losses. CBS Minnesota reported it had raised more than $20,000 by Sept. 25, while an earlier local report said the fundraiser had topped $6,000 within days.
The USS Abraham Lincoln has spent more than nine months on deployment in the Middle East, including 250 consecutive days at sea, reports CBS Minnesota.
For Nelson, however, the focus is now much closer to home. He returned after months away expecting to settle back into his apartment. Instead, he tried to figure out when the break-in happened and how to replace what was taken.
