$40,000 of original work missing from Missouri artist after trailer stolen
GRANDVIEW, Mo. — Multiple law enforcement agencies are investigating after a local artist said her UTV, trailer and thousands of dollars' worth of original artwork were all stolen off her property in Cleveland, Missouri.
Grandview police recovered the trailer outside the O'Reilly Auto Parts store.
700 residents impacted by Aspen Place Condemnation in Gardner, Kansas
Owner Beth Houts said the more than $40,000 worth of original artwork and equipment that was inside is nowhere to be found.
'I immediately started crying because it was all my life's work,' Houts said. 'I put in blood, sweat and tears in my work, making the handmade pieces. So, it was devastating.'
Houts is a wildlife photographer. She travels the country capturing and creating original pieces, some of which you may have spotted in places like the Lowes Kansas City Hotel.
She said more than $40,000 worth of artwork and equipment was inside her trailer, which was sitting on her land in Cleveland, Missouri.
She said in April, thieves stole her UTV, trailer and the original artwork inside.
Houts said she found out when a stranger sent her a message on Facebook, asking if she was missing a trailer.
Houts told police someone saw the trailer in Grandview, near E. 151st Street and Barat Avenue, just east of 71 Highway.
'They had painted over my logo on the trailer,' Houts said. 'Because it had my website, my phone number, all of my information on it.'
Grandview police said they confirmed the Cass County Sheriff's Office was investigating a trailer theft.
About an hour later, police said a Grandview officer found the trailer outside the O'Reilly Auto Parts store.
Police said they contacted three people, and arrested one suspect, who's been transferred to another jurisdiction for warrants.
Days later, someone sent Houts the location of her stolen UTV.
Kansas City police said they recovered the vehicle near E. 75th Terrace and Manchester Avenue.
'He had proof that he had purchased it on Facebook Marketplace,' Houts said.
Independence school bus driver from Oak Grove charged with child sex crimes: police
The trailer and UTV are back with Houts, but no sign of her artwork or $10,000 worth of equipment.
Houts wasn't able to display all her work at the East of Oak Art Fest last weekend, cutting into her income.
Houts said she typically makes thousands of dollars at these art shows.
Trey Sabates is the owner of Brookside Wine and Spirits. Their team set Houts up with a table at the event and GoFundMe page to support.
'It's horrible that it was taken from her in the way that it was,' Sabates said. 'So, we just wanted to do anything that we could and rally around her as a community.'
Download the FOX4 News app on iPhone and Android
'I'm grateful there are still good people in this world and in this community who reach out their hand when people are hurting,' Houts said.
If you have any information, call the Cass Co. Sheriff's Office at (816) 380-5200 or you can go here.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Five people hospitalized after police chase reaches 130 mph, ends in crash in Mass. city
Five people are in the hospital after state police say they led troopers on a high-speed chase in southern Massachusetts State police troopers reported a white BMW X5 traveling south on Route 24 at over 100 miles per hour. A trooper attempted to stop the speeding car but the driver accelerated away, eventually reaching speeds around 130 miles per hour as it raced down Route 24, a state police spokesperson told Boston 25 News. A short time later, the driver lost control and the vehicle crashed in Taunton. First responders arrived and treated the five injured people. They were taken to nearby hospitals in stable condition, police say. The investigation into the incident is ongoing and police say charges will be announced at a later date. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
‘I'm not feeling seen': Racist graduation remarks highlight earlier concerns brought to officials
Parents and students in Lynnfield have raised concerns about how the town's schools address race — from the limited portrayal of Black history to reports of racism among students. Now, officials are being forced to confront those concerns after 'inappropriate' remarks were made during a high school graduation livestream. Lynnfield town employees could be heard using 'inappropriate and racist words' during a graduation livestream Friday. The video has since been remove but was seen and heard by people waiting to watch the Lynnfield High School graduation on Friday. The people in the video have been placed on administrative leave during the investigation, town officials said. 'It is especially regrettable that this incident took place on what is and should be a night to celebrate our incredible seniors. Such incidents, however, must be confronted directly and openly and a full investigation and appropriate action will be taken,' a statement by the town read on Facebook. The video was of people setting up chairs on the football field prior to the ceremony. At least two racist words can be heard clearly, Itemlive reported. 'We, as town leaders, stand together in outrage over what has been reported this evening and wish to state emphatically that racist language and behavior has no place in our town and will be dealt with immediately,' the town's statement continued. Select Board member Alexis Leahy spoke out against the comments and thanked the town administration for acting quickly. 'Discrimination not only undermines the values of equity and justice that a community is built upon, but it also divides us at a time when unity and understanding are more important than ever,' she wrote. Jamie Hayman of the school committee also spoke out stating that hundreds of students have now heard these words. 'And just as importantly, they are now watching what we do next. If we treat this only as a personnel issue, we miss a critical opportunity, to lead, to grow, and to teach,' he said. But it isn't the first time this issue has been brought up to the school board committee this year. On June 3, the school committee hearing prior to graduation, a parent, Carl Allien, told the committee that his son was dealing with 'some incidents' as an African-American. The school's principal had called Allien about 'some of the harsh things that my son has been enduring.' Although he did not provide any specifics, he said it wasn't about any specific person and asked for a meeting with the superintendent about these issues. '... it's been challenging for a young African-American kid in the schools,' he said. 'I'm struggling right now.' Two school board members encouraged Allien to leave his contact information with the district secretary for further conversation. In February, Joseph Dixon and his mother, Wendy, went in front of the committee to urge them to have better education and celebration of Black history. 'I'm not feeling seen,' Wendy Dixon said her son told her. Joseph Dixon said during his years at Lynnfield public schools, he has not seen Black history talked about beyond slavery and Martin Luther King Jr. 'We should learn about the many things that black people have contributed to our society and not just the struggle and hurt that they've been through,' he told the committee. He also encouraged education on other cultures too. 'I agree with you that we can do better,' Superintendent Tom Geary said. 'Thank you for being willing to speak. It's something we will talk about administratively on how to move forward with that.' Another school board committee meeting is scheduled for Tuesday. Public comment is available. Ex-con arraigned on home invasion and armed robbery charges Rally to be held in Boston in response to ICE raids in LA 'Devastated' music legend cancels more shows due to health issues Hearing for Newton judge accused of helping man evade ICE begins Monday How a Springfield agency's mission evolved since its founding after the Civil War Read the original article on MassLive.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Police surround home of presidential hopeful in Cameroon
Cameroon's main opposition leader Maurice Kamto says police have surrounded his home for the past two days since he returned from France, where he had held a political rally that inflamed the ruling CPDM party. On Sunday law enforcement officers blocked the 71-year-old from leaving his lodgings in the main city of Douala for a meeting with members of his Cameroon Renaissance Movement (CRM) party. He later called off plans to hold the meeting on Monday because of the strong police presence. Kamto plans to contest Cameroon's presidential election later this year, hoping to end 92-year-old Paul Biya's four-decade grip on power. Biya has not yet declared whether he will stand for re-election. Kamto spent nine months in detention after contesting the 2018 poll, when the authorities accused the former law professor of insurrection following protests by his supporters who claimed that the poll had been rigged in favour of Biya. The government denied the allegation. While in Paris last month, Kamto promised to protect Biya and his family if he wins October's election. "When you do me the great of honour of entrusting me with the reins, you can be sure that nothing will happen to Mr Biya and his family. Nothing. I guarantee it, I have no time for hatred. I [only] have time to build Cameroon with you," he told thousands of Cameroonians living in the diaspora who had turned up to his rally on 31 May. This did not go down well with ruling party officials, with one calling his comments "pathetic". "What protection do they need? Which family are we talking about?," asked Labour Minister Grégoire Owona in a Facebook post, adding, "Cameroon is not in danger." Following Kamto's return, security has been tightened in parts of Douala. Police officers on the ground told the BBC on Monday that they had been instructed to watch the neighbourhood where Kamto was staying, and the media was not allowed to film. Footage filmed in the city on Sunday evening showed Kamto telling supporters "as I speak, I'm still sequestered". "Go home in calm and dignity," he told chanting supporters who had gathered at the scene. Police and gendarme officers had also restricted access to the CRM party building that Kamto was trying to reach, saying the meeting was not authorised. But Kamto denies this, saying local authorities and law enforcement officials were informed that he was coming to the city for a meeting. As the election approaches, rights groups have condemned the government's crackdown on dissent in the Central African nation. Parliamentary elections that were also supposed to take place earlier this year have been delayed until 2026. Biya has been in power for 42 years and is one of the world's oldest heads of state. Last year the country banned reports on the president's health, following rumours that he had died. Kamto's eligibility to run for the presidency is in question, because Cameroonian law demands that any political party must already have elected representatives in place if its leader wishes to run for president. At the last presidential election Kamto's CRM party had one senator, but going into this election it has no elected officials. Alternatively Kamto could run as an independent candidate, for which he would need 300 signatures from designated personalities from across the country. Yet Kamto insists there is "no legal obstacle" stopping his bid for the presidency, and CRM representative Guy Tassé told the AFP news agency that there was "a political manoeuvre by the regime to try to block the candidate they fear because he embodies real change". The country is also in the throes of a separatist insurgency - with rebels demanding independence for Cameroon's two English-speaking provinces, which are home to 20% of the population. In the near-decade since the conflict began, at least 6,000 people have been killed and hundreds of thousands forced from their homes. 'Nowhere is safe' - Cameroonians trapped between separatists and soldiers Art curator Koyo Kouoh dies at height of career The lawyer risking everything to defend LGBT rights Paul Biya: Cameroon's 'absentee president' Go to for more news from the African continent. Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica Africa Daily Focus on Africa