A log cabin stolen in the woods of Spokane, Washington, was found Thursday morning by Stevens County Sheriff deputies. NBC News reports that deputies learned of the stolen cabin’s whereabouts working off a tip they received, according to Sheriff Kendle Allen.
The cabin’s owner, Chris Hempel, reported the cabin stolen on Tuesday. Thieves have worked at detaching the 10-by-20-foot house from its foundation and finally did, leaving the cement blocks behind.
According to Allen, the tiny house was found less than 10 miles away from the owner’s property. It was located where there was also heavy equipment on the property. Allen said they believe someone “stole it to live in it.”
Hempe told NBC KHQ said she knew something wasn’t right when the gate to their property was cut open.
“Drove up to (the cabin) expecting it to maybe be broken windows, maybe a little vandalism, something stolen from the front of it. We walked up and it was gone.”
This home is reportedly worth $7,000 and sits on 20 acres near a lake. The small vacation home is called “Hempel Hideaway.”
Hempel describes a feeling of “total dumbfounded shock” when the family saw their weekend log cabin was stolen. She contacted the sheriff’s office to look into where the cabin went and who’d taken it. When the cabin was taken away, Hempel shared how upsetting it is when someone just comes along and robs you of it.
“It’s frustrating when you work as hard as you do and get things you enjoy to have, and someone comes in and steals it from you.”
Allen said the Hempels were “overjoyed” when he called to tell them the cabin had been found.
USA Today reports that Moose and Chris Hempel have owned the structure for 10 years. They go up there to camp a few times a year and just relax.
A small deck attached to the cabin was also stolen with the structure, Moose said.
“They even took the steps and the paving blocks. I had a little deck out here — it’s gone, too.”
The Inquisitr wrote about a very similar story in February of this year about a house — 1,200 square feet — that was stolen in Klamath County, Oregon. That, too, was found just a few miles away from its original location.
A stolen cabin is hard to imagine, considering the type of equipment and motorized vehicles it would take to move the structure.
Charges are pending in the case.
[Photo Credit: YouTube screenshot /KXLY 4 News]
