Thieves made off with a truck and trailer containing a widow's most prized possessions.
Sad Story
It's no secret that automotive theft has only gotten worse over the last couple of years, a phenomenon that can at least partly be blamed on the pandemic. Thieves like to target hotels in particular, where they seek out trucks pulling trailers with valuable contents inside. That's precisely what happened to California native Mary Pena, who was recently hauling her late husband's ashes inside of his beloved 1941 Ford pickup across the country, according to Channel 6 News in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Startling Discovery
Pena and her son were hauling the 1941 Ford pickup from California to Illinois, where the pair were in the process of moving when they stopped for the night at a hotel in Tulsa. When they woke up in the morning to continue on their journey, however, they found that their truck, the trailer, and the vintage pickup carrying her husband's ashes were all gone.
Prized Possession
Pena's husband had just passed away from cancer a mere week prior, making this a particularly devastating crime. "I just want it back because I had my husband's ashes in there to go home and do his memorial, and the truck, that he just cherished," Pena said. "That truck, that was a family prize right there. It was a truck my mom bought for my dad, and we completely refurbished it,” said her son, David Pena.
Happy Ending
The truck was reportedly blocked in and had an alarm on it, but thieves found a way to take it, regardless. Thankfully, however, this story has a happy ending. The very next day, the stolen 1941 Ford pickup was found by the Tulsa Country Sheriff's Office sitting in a parking lot after receiving a tip from a good samaritan.
Unclear Intentions
It's unclear if the thieves realized that they would be discovered more easily thanks to the unique old pickup, or if they had second thoughts because of the fact that they had unknowingly stolen someone's late husband's ashes. Regardless, we're just happy to hear that the grieving family was able to get them both back.
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