Victims Allege Inside Job in $1M Colorado Self-Storage Theft

A lawsuit filed by victims of a massive burglary at an Englewood, Colorado self-storage facility is raising serious questions about how the theft occurred—suggesting the possibility of insider involvement.

The complaint, filed in Arapahoe County District Court, seeks more than $1 million in damages following a three-day burglary at a facility at 1090 W. Hampden Ave. While no wrongdoing has been proven, the lawsuit alleges that “the circumstances suggest” the facility manager may have had some level of involvement—whether through negligence, willful disregard, or more direct misconduct.

The plaintiffs, David and Nina Goodlund, rented a unit in November 2025 to temporarily store personal belongings during renovations at their home. According to the lawsuit, they were assured by facility staff including a woman presumed to be the manager, named multiple times in the lawsuit, that the property was secure and had experienced no recent break-ins.

The suit bluntly asserts that the woman was lying and describes “just a few representative examples” of high-dollar thefts from the facility in the months before Goodlund’s visit, including:

- A week-earlier theft of stored personal property valued at $5,000 to 8,000

- An August 2025 theft of stored 3D printers and related equipment;

- A June 2025 theft of valuables including clothes, furniture and podcast equipment;

- A May 2025 theft of guitars, a handgun, televisions, computer equipment and tools;

- Various thefts in 2024 and 2023 of a fireproof safe, silver, computer equipment, appliances, tools, electronics and autographed art.

Just hours after moving their belongings into the unit on Nov. 9, the Goodlund's allege that masked individuals entered the facility using a valid keypad code and went directly to their unit. Over the next three days, the suspects returned multiple times, removing items until the unit was emptied.

Before and after photos of the Goodlund's unit

Among the stolen property were personal archives, designer clothing and collectibles, and irreplaceable family photos. The theft was not discovered until Nov. 11, when facility staff contacted the Goodlunds to report the unit appeared unsecured.

Police have arrested one suspect, identified as Brandon Lee Romero, in connection with the burglary. He is awaiting trial. Additional suspects have not been identified, and much of the stolen property has not been recovered.

The lawsuit also questions whether standard security procedures were followed, including daily lock checks that could have detected the breach earlier. In addition, the complaint alleges that positive online reviews of the facility may have been part of an effort to misrepresent its security record, though those claims remain unproven.