A grieving couple is pleading with the criminals who stole their pickup truck with a special pendant inside to return it.
“Just turn it in and let Emmitt come home.”
Rene Reutlinger left his work truck running outside an Airdrie convenience store on Jan. 30 and within minutes, it was gone. Soon after, he realized a memorial pendant of his son was hanging from the rear-view mirror of the stolen pickup.
“It’s my connection with him, because I would talk to him while I was driving,” said Reutlinger, holding back tears. “That was my way to be with my son.”
Emmitt died shortly before his second birthday in September 2013. He was born premature and had a lot of health complications. As a constant reminder of him, each family member had a pendant made with his cremated remains inside.
It is almost identical to his wife Ashley’s pendant, which she wears every day around her neck. Hers is in the shape of a square; the missing one is in the shape of a circle.
“Having him with us to witness everyday life and make the memories. He’s still with us all the time,” Ashley said, “but it feels like he’s missing.”
“It’s not worth enough to anyone else in the world to keep it,” Rene said. He’s begging the criminals to return it.
“Find a way to send him home.”
The truck has since been recovered.
Authorities in Calgary found it and returned it to the family, but the pendant is still missing.