The woman whose husband’s cremated remains were stolen from her parked vehicle is speaking out, hoping for the return of her family’s missing urn.
North Vancouver RCMP issued a plea to the public on Monday (Oct. 16) after a series of vehicle break-ins occurred sometime Friday night or Saturday morning on the 500 block of West 21st Street.
The victim, who the North Shore News is not naming to protect her privacy, said she saw right away that the thief had made off with some loose change, sunglasses, a blanket, some keepsakes and two pairs of reading glasses. It wasn’t until she opened her trunk later in the day that she realized the urn had been taken.
“I was just really upset. What kind of person does this, to take something so personal? They have absolutely no use for it,” she said.
Her husband died 14 years ago and she was preparing, along with her daughters, to find a meaningful way to spread his ashes together as a family when the theft happened.
The woman said she is hoping the thief took the urn in error, not realizing what it was, and will either turn it in or leave it somewhere visible so it can be found and returned to police. The stolen urn has a date of 09-09-09, according to investigators.
In the meantime, she wants the culprit to know the impact they’ve had on her whole family.
“They think they’re just rummaging through a car and taking random things, but they don’t realize the connections that people have to their things,” she said. “There’s nothing I can do about it but it is tough because even though it’s been 14 years, this is just another grief on top of it.”
While they maintain hope the urn will be found and they can give their beloved family member a proper send-off, the woman said it’s also painful to think of her husband's remains not being treated with the dignity they deserve.
“It’s not nice not knowing,” she said, holding back tears. “To think of it getting raked up off the side of the road with all the leaves and thrown in the dumpster or something, that’s not a nice thought.”
North Vancouver RCMP searched the area where the thefts occurred and are asking the public to keep an eye out.
“Obviously, this is something of a great sentimental value to the owner and we are hoping the perpetrator will do the right thing and return it,” said Const. Mansoor Sahak, spokesperson for the North Vancouver RCMP.
Anyone with information on the whereabouts of the urn is asked to call the North Vancouver RCMP at 604-985-1311 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) to remain anonymous.
