In pursuit of a more natural setting than the buzzing suburbs of Los Angeles, Zack Judson packed up his life into a UHAUL truck and headed for the Northwest.

He had hoped to spend some time in the woods, minimalist experiences for a digital artist that typically thrives in the rave scene.

The third night at an Issaquah hotel, thieves took his truck and all of his earthly possessions.

The experience has been crushing. His life’s work as a video artist, gone. A prized gun collection, lost to criminals.

It’s also been a true exercise in zen, he said.

“It’s like I was born anew,” he said. “I have a brand new life, because I have no history of my old life.”

Still, there has been no peace for Judson.

“I’m certainly not going to rest until its resolved,” he said, adding that stopping now would only end in utter depression.

He’s since put out a $10,000 award for the arrest and prosecution of the people responsible.

The truck was found in South Seattle by Seattle Police, he said.

So he’s been walking the areas’ more dangerous neighborhoods with wanted posters, filling telephone polls with pictures of his most prized possessions.

“Somebody out there knows something,” he said.

Creating a website, he’s also made his story a cause for community crime fighting.

As cities layoff police forces, neighbors need to step up and help each other out, he said. “Nobody wants thieves in their neighborhood.”

He gets daily messages from people encouraged by his message. He hopes it spurs on more grassroots efforts.

The contents of a life

For three straight nights, Judson got up multiple times to make sure the UHAUL was still in the Issaquah parking lot.

He arrived just before the weekend, and the leasing agents for a place to live were gone for the weekend.

He eventually decided to stop second guessing himself, and took a five-hour trip to Seattle, he said. “I let my guard down.”

When he discovered the truck was missing, his best hope was that UHAUL repossessed it.

He found a tow truck driver at a nearby UHAUL, but he hadn’t heard of a truck being towed.

Judson was then confident. It was stolen.

“I don’t think the crime that happened was a reflection on Issaquah,” he said. “I doubt people in this town had much to do with it.”

The next day, Detective Kevin Nash from the Issaquah Police Department put together fliers showing the truck’s unique viking ship graphic.

A short media blitz later, and an honest citizen called police with the tip.

The truck was empty.

His seven computers were missing, along with 20 years of art stored on hardware.

He regularly VJ’s, a video form of DJing. At one time he put on a show in Europe with 65,000 audience members.

The passion is supported by a Hollywood special affects job for what he describes as mediocre films.

Judson was also a part-time firearms instructor. He had 10-11 guns in locked cases, which he occasionally rented out.

The missing guns, likely pawned off to criminals, keep him up at night, he said. “It makes me sick.”

The truck also had his furniture, household items and clothing.

All he owns now fits in a hotel room, and most of his clothes are from a thrift store.

While insurance would have covered damages from an accident, theft isn’t covered, he said. “It’s total and complete devastating loss.”

Celeste Gracey can be reached at 425-391-0363, ext. 5052.