Someone broke into my airplane :(

Went out to the airport last night around 8:30p.m. with the
intention of doing some night stop-and-go's to regain night currency in
my 152. The last time I'd flown it was Saturday (From JeffCo to
Scottsbluff and back). After stopping in at the FBO to let them know
I'd need some fuel I headed out to the airplane. When I went out to do
the pre-flight and such, I noticed that the keyslot wasn't vertical. I
can only remove the key when it's vertical so I thought that it was a
bit odd. I reached up and pulled the latch, and found that it was
unlocked, another oddity, as I always lock my airplane after tying it
down. Normally I keep everything that stays in the airplane in one of
those plastic tubs with a cover (I figure I need to keep things
organized now that it looks new) and upon looking inside found it
opened with my aircraft POH and sectionals outside of the container
strewn about in the rear of the airplane. It was at this point that I
noticed that my portable GPS and it's cabling were gone. Usually I put
it in between the chocks that I have in the container and then toss the
aircraft manual and sectionals on top to put it out of sight. With that
and the cover on the plastic tub, you can't see what's in the back of
the airplane except for a plastic tub with some quarts of oil and
sectionals in it.
At this point I mentioned to the line guy who was in the process
of topping the tanks off that my airplane looked like it had been
broken into and my GPS was missing. He didn't know if there was any
formal reporting process for handling such things, so he radioed his
manager to determine if there was anything that they were accountable
for, to whom they might need to report something like this, etc. They
called the local sherriff who then came out, took down some information
and then had to call out another officer who had a computer to file the
actual report. The local police were very good at getting the
information and such and easy to work with (this is the first time I've
ever had to do anything like this.) They gave me a case number and said
that a detective would be calling me (I guess due to the value of the
property stolen it's a felony theft.)
Since I'd already entered the aircraft they said it would be
useless to take prints (and both officers made it a point to state that
fingerprinting and the database don't work like what they show on T.V.
already knew that though) and the one officer was concerned that the
powder used wasn't good for an airplane as it gets everywhere and he
didn't want to be gumming up the moving parts.
Thankfully I still have the box for the GPS and was able to call
them back and provide them the serial number, but I'm guessing I will
probably never see it again. I don't like the fact that it was stolen,
but it's only equipment and can be replaced. What I don't like at all
and is still unsettling is that someone was in my airplane without
permission and without my knowledge. I have no idea what else they
could have done (more than likely just 'shopping' for things, but still
an unknown). Everything looked ok from a cursory glance at things, but
it was night and I couldn't do a real good look, therefore I abandoned
my plans to fly that evening (which really sucks because it was a
GORGEOUS night to do so).
So I guess the moral is to not leave anything at all in the
airplane. I take my headset with me because I fly various aircraft and
only have one headset. I left the GPS in the 152 because it's the only
airplane without one, and it's one less thing to remember to bring when
heading to the airport. I figured that by burying it beneath the maps
and what not, it would be out of sight, out of mind. Looks like it
didn't work out that way.

--
Louis L. Perley III
N46000
N370