Yokosuka Families:

One of our family members who traveled back on the 1730 shuttle bus from Narita on May 3 failed to pick up his carry on bag.

This bag has very important information to the family and is needed. If someone mistakenly picked on the following bag, please contact the CFAY PAO office at 243-3003.

A reward will be offered to whoever turns it in.

It’s a standard size black carry-on luggage with rolling wheels and a retractable monopole handle.

Contents include sentimental items from deceased family members, and the entire family’s official documents (i.e. birth certificates, social security cards, medical records, shot records, baptismal records, etc..

It's a shame that it would appear that someone within our community has taken advantage of a family that exercised the MVAD process. Absolutely horrible!!! Whoever it is...do the right thing and return the luggage. Also, if you know who committed the crime then it's your responsibility to help. There's a special place and extra torment in hell for people that do things like this!!!

I'm the person that lost the black carry-on and I really need help! I'm hoping that someone saw the bag and/or knows someone that picked up the bag. The sentimental items are what I really need...family photos, hand written note and jewelery from dead mother, grandmother's bible, grandfather's belt buckle, grandfather's retirement tie pin, etc. Other items include Under Armour clothing and very important family documents (i.e. Medical Records, Birth Certificates, Social Security Cards, etc).

There is a REWARD for the return of the items. Also, I'll give a REWARD for anyone who provides information that results in the return of the items.

I certainly hope it was an accident. It's hard to imagine anyone purposely taking someone else's bag from the base shuttle bus. Still, it's been 5 days. How can they not know by now & be seeking the owner?

ALCON-- Still no leads on our missing luggage. Please help us out. There are incredibly sentimental items inside the luggage.

I am sorry to hear it is missing. Is it possible whoever took it doesn't know it yet? Years back, I flew to be in a wedding and brought two checked bags plus carryon. With the excitement of the wedding, I just happened to not open one of the checked bags I had brought. When I did a few days later, it was obviously not my bag. I called the airlines and we were able to switch them, I am hoping that is the case here! Maybe someone took it and hasn't opened it yet? One can hope!

Did you post a notice in the base newspaper? Community bulletin boards?

@ Julie -- Certainly anything is possible and I appreciate your perspective of a happy ending. @ ThaiGuy -- Yes, the notice has been posted on several community-wide Facebook pages and it will be in this Friday's Seahawk. Also, I have filed a voluntary statement with CFAY Security as well as the JPS. To that end, if the luggage/contents aren't returned, then this will become a crime (Larceny). Hence, it's best for all concerned that the luggage/contents get returned. Otherwise, we suffer the loss and ultimately the perpetrator will suffer the consequences.

I hate to say it but........ did you call Narita? Maybe the drive didnt know who's it was and returned it to the airport? Or maybe left it in the lost and found where the shuttle dropped you off? Or and I know you sound really sure of it but maybe your bag never made it to the shuttle? Maybe it got forgotten on the plane in all the ugh of travling? Did you call the airline you were on? And have you called PMO? Someone might have realized it wasnt theres and not looked inside and just turned it in.

@ Rea -- Yes, I called Narita and I filed with their police. With regards to the bag, yes, I personally placed it in the bus storage compartment. Also, when I noticed that the bag was missing on the night of May 3rd, I returned to the base to look for it (2-hours after I was dropped off). This included checking with Transportation and checking the actual bus for the luggage...and speaking with the bus driver as well as the dispatcher.

Also, I picked up my family on Thursday (05 May) from Narita and at that time I re-checked with all of the agencies (i.e. Japanese Police, DOD Liaison and United Airlines). What's more, all of the aforementioned agencies have my contact info just in case the luggage gets returned.

Thanks for the suggestions though.

Hey, PSD should have a manifest of what was on that bus. They keep a pretty careful list. Is there any way that you or security can start calling people on the list? Approach it still as a misunderstanding (not a crime) and mention the reward, giving people every opportunity to "do the right thing."

@ ThaiGuy -- Yes, that was already done by CFAY Security. The response from the other 25 passengers was "negative".

Keep the suggestions coming!

Duplicate post, sorry.

Question... which stop did you get off at? PSD or Navy Lodge?

I got off at the PSD drop-off site, and none of the other passengers went to the Navy Lodge. 

Thank you for your interest in the matter and for your suggestions.

For those on Facebook, there's another discussion...click on the below link to the CFAY FB Note.

http://tinyurl.com/Lost-Luggage-PSD

Did you follow up Isabel's comment on the FB page: "I saw the driver unloading the luggage,including a carry on that was left in front of the PSD." Maybe it was totally left there, everyone departed, and some passer-by picked it up later. Are there any security cameras nearby? Doesn't have to be that exact spot, but around the neighborhood, you might catch a video of someone departing the area with a black carry-on. Check McDonald's, the Club, hospital and other nearby buildings for surveillance cameras. This seems to be escalating from a mistake to a crime, and needs to be treated as such by Security/NCIS. I know there are several NCIS members on JB (they've taken an interest in the guy that scammed a Japanese girl) so maybe they can help generate interest in this case as well.

Yes, I did follow-up Isabel's comment by contacting CID - Criminal Investigative Division. They're looking into the matter.

If it was left in the parking lot of PSD have you checked with......I dont know the right name for them. We call them the grass nija's. They do the maintance work around base. You know they cut the grass pick up trash, maybe one of them came acrossed it and put it in some sort of weird lost and found?

Or have you just gone in to PSD to see if someone took it there? Its better to turn up in person than call. In my experiance, peolpe will tell me" no" on the phone because Im not there to see them check. I know it sounds bad but my whole family almost missed a very $$ flight because my husband droped his wallet and some chick at the Bx was too lazy to go check when we called. When I showed up there and asked they went back and looked. It was not only there it had been there since the night before.Thanks to Miss Lazy pants we just barly made the flight. I mean running through the airport holding shoes as the gate was closing. That was in the states though.

The only other thing I can think of is sometimes the Japanesse security forces stand at the gates. I have no idea if you could as them specificly or if they would just turn it over to the american side of things. Oh and after this buy a purple and pink zebra print carry on. Makes it easy to remeber in times like this and its hard to miss! =)

Just chiming in to say I'm crossing my fingers for you. Unfortunately it sounds like a passerby may of just took off with it --and considering the contents inside, they probably felt like they hit the jackpot. (Sorry, it takes a truly ugly person to look at those family photos and not want to return them to the owner --I'm still hoping this was just a grand mistake though)

I'll ask my husband to keep an ear open for someone trying to pawn off jewelery or anything to do with the bag. If any spouses read this you should ask the same of your Sailor --you never know.

And if you have any pics of the jewelry I'd maybe post them up down the road. It's a small community --if anyone wears the items someone will notice eventually (or might recognize them from somewhere). I'd also check Hardoffs and the likes in the near future.

Regarding Rea's comments about Grass Ninja & Japanese security guards... If you have a Japanese friend, it would be better to have them do the inquiry with the Japanese workers. They'd likely be more successful in communicating the nature of the issue.

I just remembered one more item...

An ornament that was on my mother's casket -- A ceramic cluster of roses (bronze) about 6 inches long x 2.5 inches tall x 2.5 inches wide.

$500 CASH to the person that returns my luggage with all of its contents. No questions asked.

$500 CASH to the first person that turns in the perpetrator and leads to their arrest and conviction!

I'm so sorry this has happened to you, Paul. Clearly, the contents mean a lot to you. I hope your bag shows up sooner or later. I wish you the best of luck in getting it back.

Thanks Yoko-girl...me, too!

***** UPDATE *****Friday, 20 May 2011*****UPDATE*****


$750 to the person that returns my luggage with all of its contents. No questions asked.

$750 to the first person that turns in the perpetrator and leads to their arrest and conviction!


***** UPDATE *****Friday, 20 May 2011*****UPDATE*****


On Wednesday night, 18 May, my entire families personal identifiable documents were found by a janitor at the CPO Club on Yokosuka. Apparently the perpetrator placed our documents in a yellow plastic Daiso bag, and then wrote on the bag in black marker: "Important papers do not discard." ...and..."Paul Lopez"....and..."Import". The latter word could've been smeared on accident by the handler, etc.

What's more, the yellow plastic Daiso bag full of our documents was found in a trash can in the men's restroom at the CPO Club.

Paul:

JapanBases.com will also offer an extra $250.00 for information leading to the return of your bags.

If people have any information, and want to do it anonymously, you can register an account with Japanbases.com and use a fake alias. Send Paul, or this JapanBases.com Account a private message, so we can help get his personal belongings to him ASAP.

$1000.00 for information leading to helping him find his items.

Someone must have information, or knows what had happened. If you do know, please speak up.

Wow... It really sucks that it came down to this... But, at least you recovered some of your important items. So, I am assume this means that all of your heirlooms were not in this yellow bag?

Pretty sh***y that someone could do this to a fellow American over here, but I dont know why it surprises me, with the way things are nowadays back in the states...

Sorry it has worked out this way for you, Paul...

My wife and I are very appreciative of your gracious offer and continued support. Thank you very much!!!

@ Hoff -- the bag was taken into custody by CFAY Security as evidence, and is being analyzed/cataloged. Hence, I'm only 99% sure of what's actually in the plastic bag. With that said, it appeared to me from a hands-off scan, that all of my families documents plus a ziplock bag full of photos were enclosed.

To that end, it would seem that you're correct...the "person" decided to keep all of the heirlooms, jewelry (some of which was costume jewelry) and my clothing.

Attached is a photo of the plastic Daiso bag found in the trash can in the men's restroom at the CPO Club...

Wow, Paul! I am so sorry!

What's sick is that this person has seen your posts around --probably even from here. They know how much those items mean to you. Disgusting! I hope this is solved!!!

Hopefully there is a fingerprint on there somewhere if that's what security is looking for!

A closer view of the handwriting.

One more photo.

I suppose the buses have been searched and the drivers questioned?

...and 1 more!

@ Polly -- I'm sure the investigators have been diligent throughout this process, and continue to expand their inquiries with each new piece of evidence.

Unbelievable. If you can find a picture of the hierloom similiar on the internet please post it for us and we can still keep an eye out. I heard about your story because of my lost luggage and I can only imagine what this has caused you. I am sorry and it appears our perp is reading these posts. This makes my skin crawl!

Wow.  I had really thought all off this was just an honest mix-up.  Clearly, someone out there is causing mischief.  Wasn't there another post from s/one else that had the same problem with a missing bag recently?  I think we got a serial bag-snatcher on our base.  Hopefully, they'll be able to get fingerprints off the shopping bags.  I'm glad you got at least some of your stuff back.  

And, that was very thoughtful of Japanbases to chip in with the reward. 

The other one was a mix-up on the flight in from Seattle. The was seen a week later back in Seattle, and subsequently re-lost.

Paul's bag made it to Japan, got onto the airport shuttle, and disappeared as everyone was debarking. Probably no common cause between the two incidents.

I'm with you Yoko-girl, totally thought/hoped this was just a mistake, but now it's obvious it wasn't.

I am sorry, Paul.

Worse yet, by the location it was discovered, one could surmise it was a senior enlisted who committed this act.

Posted By Makami on 05-21-2011 7:16 AM
Worse yet, by the location it was discovered, one could surmise it was a senior enlisted who committed this act.

The problem is, anyone can go there for lunch or just walk in... so I wonder, really. I'd like to imagine some young, one term Sailor picking up the bag but I guess you never know... >:|

I'm adding $250 more to the reward total which now has our family contributing $1000, and then graciously Japanbases has offered an additional $250 for a Grand Total Reward of $1250.

Thanks, and please help if you can.



******* UPDATE ******* Friday, 27 May 2011 *******UPDATE*******


$1250 to the person that returns my luggage with all of its contents. No questions asked.

$1250 to the first person that turns in the perpetrator and leads to their arrest and conviction!


******* UPDATE ******* Friday, 27 May 2011 *******UPDATE*******

Im so sorry. I cant belive someone would just do something like that. I hope they are found and punished.

Okay I just got home and while I was out I had the most horrible thought ever. I know out Kadena gate 2 not more than 100feet from the gate there are pawn shops. I litterally looked across the street and the thought hit me like a ton of bricks.

Doesnt Yokuska have that hooche or something out one of thier gates? Does it have pawn shops on it too? Where is the closest pawn shop to the base and has anyone checked?
I think we need to send Paul to them with an interpreture to see if someone tried or has sold any of his iteams there.

I'm so sorry that you have to go through this. It's a sad fact that we are more likely to be taken advantage of by our fellow Americans than anyone else. I had my IPOD and expensive earphones lifted out of my car ... I hope they catch this person.

Rea --yeah, I mentioned that a ways back. I think the HardOffs should be checked --ASAP. And there are a couple mom and pop pawn shops right off base around the Honch area. I'd take a walk around and just look in the shops one day. Maybe someone would be willing to drive to the HardOffs... there is about 3 or 4 Americans haunt regularly.

Summer tours are coming up/in progress... whoever they are they may be wanting to get rid of the stuff real soon to collect some cash. Then again, they know a lot of people are looking for the items so they might hold the items or dump them.

Somebody has got to know something somewhere... (when my husband's iPhone was lifted on watch the friend of the thief returned it to my husband... I can only hope there is a Sailor/person out there that will do that for Paul...)

Sorry I must have missed that early post. But I think he should go out there with a japanesse speaking person to see if the theif even tried to sell them. There is a good chance that the theif walked away thinking he could get more somewhere eles.A discribtion of the person would be worth its weight in gold. You take a discribtion with whatever prints can be lifted off that bag they found with the documents in it and boom you got the theif. Atleast you have enuff for arrest maybe more.

So, considering the below info I just received via my Inbox, is there anyone on this website that might've been 1 of the 2 guys in the gazebo, and witnessed the other guy take the black carry-on luggage? If so, and you can provide enough information that leads to the arrest/conviction of the perp, then you will be $1250 richer!



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When I picked up (my wife) on the 3rd...other than her there was 2 Americans still there, they where hanging out in the gazebo.

I asked her about the (luggage) and she thought it belonged to one of the people in the gazebo or could belong to someone who went inside to use the bathroom.

Didn't know it was missing or I would have turned it over to the PSD personnel.

If anyone took it I would speculate it was one of the two men in the gazebo.

Sorry this happened to you. Hate that personal integrity has sunk so low.

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