Storage Mishandled by Two Area Firms

Harvard police are investigating two area storage companies for allegedly mishandling the belongings of dozens of Harvard students resulting in losses or thefts worth thousands of dollars.

One of the companies, All-Pro Moving and Storage Company, has allegedly stolen thousands of dollars in property from students, according to police and students. The other, Alexander and Sons/Castle Storage Company shut down this summer after its owner was arrested and ran out of money, police and students said.

In at least nine cases, All-Pro has not returned computers, stereos, and other high-tech items, while Alexander and Sons shut down following its owners arrest last week by Boston police on an outstanding warrant, police said.

Harvard students, with the help of police, have identified Walter E. Thompson of 50 Corcoran St. in Cambridge as All-Pro's owner. Thompson has a criminal record and probably is still at large in Cambridge, according to police.

No one answered repeated phone calls over the last two days at Thompson's Cambridge residence, and Thompson could not be reached for comment. Harvard police are still trying to locate Thompson as well.

"There have been at least nine cases of larceny already and there are probably dozens more," said Harvard Police Detective Richard Estes of the All-Pro thefts, to which he has been assigned to investigate full-time. "Students stored computers and stereos but are getting back only furniture and clothes," Estes said.

Harvard Law School students appear so far to be the hardest hit.

Katherine A. Nino, a second-year Harvard law student, said she had about $2,000 in property taken. Though hers was one of the worst losses, Nino says her story is representative of what many who stored with All-Pro suffered.

Nino said Thompson stole her new 13-inch color TV, a VCR, stereo, computer printer, new downhill skis and boots, as well as smaller items, like a floor lamp and sleeping bags. "Even the things I did recover looked like a herd of wild elephants had trampled over them," Nino said.

Nino and some other law students who had stored their belongings with All-Pro contacted police and eventually tracked down the location of some of their property, which was being kept at Cambridge Self Storage.

"We found where he was storing it, talked to the general manager of the storage place," Nino said. "He said the All-Pro guy hadn't paid him in months and that he was close to putting our stuff up for auction. So we explained everything to him, rented a few rental trucks and went down there on Labor Day at 7 a.m."

"Boxes were thrown, scattered, no way he could have gotten my stuff back intact," she continued. "Everything was smashed, dirty--there were things strewn on the floor. Everybody's valuables were gone and there were about seven of us."

Nino said she and her friends salvaged what they could.

"Then Detective Estes met us on Wednesday. We positively ID'd a picture of the All-Pro guy. Estes told us that this guy...had spent five and one half years in prison and he had an extensive criminal record but Estes could not disclose for what," Nino said.

Nino said she and her fellow law school students are not planning any legal action against All-Pro.

"We'd be most satisfied to see him locked up for a real long time. There's no telling how many more people he's going to do this to," she said.

Lesley College Hit, Too

Students at Lesley College in Cambridge have also had problems with All-Pro. Michael MacNeil, director of security for Lesley, said that two Lesley students had items not returned by All-Pro. MacNeil declined to identify the students or say what had been stolen.

"All-Pro does not appear to be a legitimateorganization," MacNeil said, adding that he hascontacted Harvard police to discuss theinvestigation.

All-Pro, which had advertised itself tostudents as being based in Cambridge, is notlisted in the greater Boston phone directory anddoes not have a listing with directory assistance.

Alexander and Sons Gone

Students who paid Alexander and Sons/CastleStorage upwards of $250 for its pick up, storageand delivery service appear only slightly morefortunate.

Although the approximately 200 Boston-areacollege students who stored with the company hadto drive rental trucks to Brookline to retrievetheir stored goods, nothing has yet been reportedstolen, police said.

Alexander and Sons/Castle Storage appears to bea victim more of economic difficulties than ofcriminal intentions. "He ran out of money and hadtruck trouble," Estes said.

Jose M. Hernandez '94, who stored both his andhis fiancee's belongings with Alexander andSons/Castle Storage, said he was thankful merelyto have been able to retrieve his property.

"We were very fortunate we retrievedeverything. Nothing's missing, nothing's broken.We're very, very fortunate--it could have beenmuch worse," Hernandez said.

Hernandez, like other Harvard students, paid$38 to rent a U-Haul truck to drive back hisproperty from Village House Storing in Brookline,where Alexander and Sons had sublet storage space.

"They never let us know that they were goingout of business," Hernandez said said. "When I didcall there was a phone runaround."

Alexander and Sons/Castle Storage, based inBrighton, is listed at a phone number which is notin service and could not be reached for comment.At Village House Storage in Brookline, ananswering machine says that Alexander andSons/Castle Storage has gone out of business. "Butwe are making arrangements for students toretrieve their goods," the recorded message says

"All-Pro does not appear to be a legitimateorganization," MacNeil said, adding that he hascontacted Harvard police to discuss theinvestigation.

All-Pro, which had advertised itself tostudents as being based in Cambridge, is notlisted in the greater Boston phone directory anddoes not have a listing with directory assistance.

Alexander and Sons Gone

Students who paid Alexander and Sons/CastleStorage upwards of $250 for its pick up, storageand delivery service appear only slightly morefortunate.

Although the approximately 200 Boston-areacollege students who stored with the company hadto drive rental trucks to Brookline to retrievetheir stored goods, nothing has yet been reportedstolen, police said.

Alexander and Sons/Castle Storage appears to bea victim more of economic difficulties than ofcriminal intentions. "He ran out of money and hadtruck trouble," Estes said.

Jose M. Hernandez '94, who stored both his andhis fiancee's belongings with Alexander andSons/Castle Storage, said he was thankful merelyto have been able to retrieve his property.

"We were very fortunate we retrievedeverything. Nothing's missing, nothing's broken.We're very, very fortunate--it could have beenmuch worse," Hernandez said.

Hernandez, like other Harvard students, paid$38 to rent a U-Haul truck to drive back hisproperty from Village House Storing in Brookline,where Alexander and Sons had sublet storage space.

"They never let us know that they were goingout of business," Hernandez said said. "When I didcall there was a phone runaround."

Alexander and Sons/Castle Storage, based inBrighton, is listed at a phone number which is notin service and could not be reached for comment.At Village House Storage in Brookline, ananswering machine says that Alexander andSons/Castle Storage has gone out of business. "Butwe are making arrangements for students toretrieve their goods," the recorded message says