La Quinta man offering $5,000 reward for return of sentimental items stolen from Extra Space Storage Unit

One local man says he had sentimental property stolen from a rented unit at an Extra Space Storage facility in La Quinta. 

News Channel 3’s Madison Weil spoke with the man, David DeCastro, who he says he’s now offering a reward in hopes of getting back those items he says he can’t replace. 

“Personal items...a lot of jewelry...what’s most important to me is my father’s photos. My family’s personal stuff,” explained DeCastro. 

DeCastro says his father was an actor and nearly all of his father’s photos from his career are now gone. 

“All the boxes were empty. What’s important to me is my family’s photos...I know all the material things are gone. That’s history. But this is what matters to me,” he said, gesturing to the one remaining photo he still has, capturing his father’s smile. 

DeCastro says the theft happened on August 17th of last year. He received a phone call from an employee at the facility who had discovered the lock on his unit was cut off, while on a routine security check.  

“I came straight over here...the part-time worker took me to the unit. I saw everything and took some photos,” said DeCastro. 

DeCastro filed a police report that same day. According to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department, surveillance video failed to capture a suspect. The report says the cameras weren’t angled towards his unit and the video “quality is poor.”

“The deputy couldn't find any leads so the investigation was suspended,” said DeCastro.  

The storage company says they have 12 cameras total on site. While they did evaluate the situation, they did not make any changes after the theft was reported. The company is also not liable for stolen property as tenants sign a lease storing items “at their own risk.”  

As for DeCastro, he says he’s no longer interested in pressing charges: “No questions asked, I don’t want anyone in trouble.” 

He says he simply wants the irreplaceable items returned, offering a $5,000 reward in exchange. 

“I feel that someone knows who has my stuff. Give a call and you’ll get your reward,” he said.  

Anyone with information about the photographs or other items taken is urged to reach out to DeCastro. You can reach him at (760) 835-1505. 

If you have property stored inside a rented storage unit, remember you can always ask the facility to verify that cameras are providing usable surveillance video of that unit.

You can find more tips to ensure storage space security HERE.