Tools worth tens of thousands disappeared in Pierce Co. Then the tips came in
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- Resident used daily Facebook posts to crowdsource tips and locate stolen property.
- Deputies served a warrant, recovered items, and continue an active investigation.
- Sheriff’s office advises measures like cameras and lighting to protect property.
Tens of thousands of dollars, gone.
Barbara Henderson and her husband arrived to their wooded property in the Lakebay area of the Key Peninsula Dec. 26 to find that someone had stolen a large quantity of tools and equipment, worth tens of thousands of dollars.
Two trailers, a Kubota tractor, chainsaws, brush cutters, pallet forks, a logging winch, solar panels, pruning saws, cast iron pans, hand tools and a laundry list of other items were missing, according to a detailed description Henderson posted on Facebook Dec. 27. She and her husband had already reported the missing items to the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office. Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Carly Cappetto confirmed in an email Jan. 15 that deputies were investigating the incident. Crime Stoppers of Tacoma/Pierce County also posted a bulletin asking for tips on the incident.
Henderson began posting on social media near daily, highlighting missing items, posting pictures and providing updates. By the time she spoke with The News Tribune on Jan. 13, they had recovered one of their trailers, their Kubota and items that the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office located after serving a warrant, Henderson said.
She explained that dozens of people reached out to her after seeing her messages online, suggesting places to check or mentioning that they had things stolen from them before. That’s how Henderson and her husband found one of their trailers: another Key Peninsula resident spotted it on the side of the road, reported it to the Sheriff’s Office and decided to stay with it until deputies arrived. His wife had seen Henderson’s posts and reached out to see if it might be their missing trailer.
In another case, a person messaged Henderson on Facebook and told her to call a certain phone number. The person on the other end of the line told her where the Kubota tractor was, and Henderson and her husband were able to recover it, though it was damaged and had to be towed back to their home.
Many of the items on their list are still nowhere to be found. She said she’s checking sites like Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist to see if she recognizes any of their belongings up for sale.
“I hate that word (victim),” Henderson said. “I don’t want to be a victim, and to not take action, to me, is so hard.”
Her frustration was mixed with gratitude for the kindness of people who reached out or offered tips.
“In reality, all I did was post, and a very frustrated community responded,” she said. “ ... they feel it because enough of them have been through it.”
She also expressed her appreciation for Deputy Nathan Betts and other Sheriff’s Office personnel for their help.
Deputies recovered many of the items at a suspect’s residence Jan. 2, but have yet to establish probable cause that the suspect was involved in the alleged burglary or theft, Cappetto told The News Tribune via email Jan. 16. Deputies arrested the suspect for other alleged crimes, Cappetto wrote.
She also wrote that Henderson helped deputies by posting about the incident on her personal Facebook account. Henderson “was updating her posts with a ‘focus’ item(s) almost daily,” Cappetto wrote. “This helped get tips from the community and helped us locate the suspect.”
In a message Tuesday, Henderson wrote that “the vast majority” of items are still missing, including many parts of machinery, chainsaws, brush cutters, tool boxes and other items.
“Crime Stoppers is waiting to see if probable cause will be established and charges will be filed,” Cappetto wrote.
She also provided a list of best practices to protect one’s home and property:
- Quality surveillance cameras
- Security personnel at night or when property is unattended (especially when you are going to leave large expensive pieces of equipment on a property)
- Adequate lighting for night
- Alarm systems
- Smile You’re On Camera signage
- Tracker devices on all expensive equipment
- Documentation and logs of serial numbers and all equipment owned
- Photographs of all equipment or property items
- A good insurance policy
- Own dogs (watch dogs/security dogs)
- Fenced property
- Lock-up property so it can’t be seen from a public area
This story was originally published January 21, 2026 at 11:47 AM.
