The couple with the stolen U-Haul is getting their stuff back. The most valuable part is still missing

A couple has a lot of their stuff back after a thief swiped their U-Haul truck and pickup from a Kennewick motel parking lot.

It also helped bust a local theft ring that included motorcycles and pickups.

But one of the most important things that went missing, their 10-year-old Russian Blue named Clyde, wasn't found by Benton County sheriff's deputies Tuesday.

Two burning trucks on Webber Canyon Road were reported to deputies at 2 a.m., the Benton County Sheriff's Office said. One was the U-Haul cargo van; another was an older Ford pickup.

Once the fires were put out, investigators matched the U-Haul cargo truck to the one stolen June 17 from in front of a Kennewick motel.

The truck carried all of the Tucson's couple's possessions on their trip to start a new life in Issaquah.

As sheriff's deputies left the scene, they spotted Balentine Virrueta-Meraz, 25, walking down Webber Canyon Road. Deputies gave him a ride back to a home on the 18000 block of East Badger Road.

While at the home, deputies saw packing boxes and a postcard with the theft victim's name on it.

Deputies then found most of the couples' items, including their Toyota Tacoma pickup.

They also found other stolen vehicles, including Harley Davidson motorcycles and a Ford F-150 pickup.

Virrueta-Meraz was booked into the Benton County jail on suspicion of possessing a stolen vehicle.

Deputies are still looking for Michael Gene Cook, 41, in connection with the stolen property.

But Christopher and Lacy, the couple who decided to drive to Issaquah so he could start a new job at Boeing, are still hunting for Clyde.

"We're pretty desperate to find Clyde," Christopher's mom, Linda Harris, said.

They hope the thieves didn't ditch Clyde until the end of the 20-minute drive from Kennewick. Clyde has a microchip and a distinctive crook about 2 to 3 inches from the tip of his tail.

Anyone with information about Clyde — or Cook — is asked to call the Benton County Sheriff's Office at 509-628-0333.