Proof You Should Never Store Valuables in Your Car — Even at Disney World

Even in the Most Magical Place on Earth, things can still go wrong. We often stress the importance of keeping your valuables in a safe place when you travel, and as it turns out, that includes not leaving them in your car.

Recently, a third-party valet attendant was arrested after allegedly stealing a hotel guest’s checkbook from their car and cashing fraudulent checks.

According to People, a third-party valet attendant working at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge was arrested for allegedly cashing nearly $1,300 of fraudulent checks from a hotel guest.

Orange County authorities responded to a report of a burglary at the Kidani Village part of the hotel on December 3rd. A hotel guest visiting from Ohio reported being notified by her bank that someone had written four checks out of her account and that her checkbook was missing from her vehicle.

The victim reported arriving at Kidani Village on November 29th and valet-parking her car. On December 3rd, her bank notified her of the withdrawals via screenshots of the four checks in amounts up to $670, for a total of $1,248. The checks were written out to Mason Henrichsen, and the victim told officers she didn’t know anyone by that name.

Officers pulled Henrichsen’s information and matched his driver’s license signature to the signatures on the checks. The valet manager later confirmed his employment at the property, where he was then arrested after arriving at work.

“Mason advised that he found a check on the parking lot ground and decided to write it out to himself,” Officer Richard Schorr wrote in the arrest affidavit. The officer said Henrichsen admitted he deposited the checks into an ATM at the Chase bank near Disney Springs. He faces two felony charges for grand theft by fraud and forgery of a check.

A Disney spokesperson confirmed that the valet attendant did not work for The Walt Disney Company and was instead employed by a third-party service, Towne Park.

“The action of this individual are not consistent with our business conduct policy or values,” a representative for Towne Park said. “We are cooperating with authorities, launched an internal investigation and this individual is no longer employed by the company.”

While the employee was not a Disney employee, this incident is still a good reminder of how to store your valuables when traveling, or otherwise. Keep them either on your person at all times or in a locked safe with a combination only you know. All Disney World hotel rooms have programmable safes that are free for guests to use.

Always be aware of your surroundings — even at Disney World. Though Disney is a generally safe place, things can still happen.

We’ll be on the lookout for more news you need to know about from Disney World and beyond. In the meantime, make sure you stay tuned to AllEars for the latest Disney updates and more.

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Have you ever had something stolen when you were on vacation? Let us know in the comments.

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