A Peterborough father calls it the greatest Christmas gift after a stolen necklace with a pendant containing the ashes of his baby boy were returned to him on Friday.
Darren Fenn says the pendant was among items stolen from his vehicle which was parked at a Brioux Avenue home in the city’s south on Dec. 4.
The pendant contains the ashes of his five-week-old baby Wyatt Daren Lamonday-Fenn, who died in January 2018. The clasp on the necklace was broken and Fenn says he was planning to take it in for repairs the next day which, is why it was in his vehicle.
His appeal on social media for the pendant’s return went viral.
On Friday while at work, Fenn said he received a message via Facebook from a woman who claimed she had the necklace and pendant in her possession. She claimed her husband was “talking to people” and had managed to locate the necklace and pendant and wanted to return them.
Fenn requested a photo as proof and then agreed to meet the man and woman at a Tim Hortons on Chemong Road in Peterborough.
“The husband and wife both walked over and handed it to me,” Fenn told Global News Peterborough on Friday evening.
“There were no questions asked. I thanked them very much and told them how much I appreciated them getting it back to me.”
Fenn said he’s grateful for the community’s support and receiving it just in time to mark what would have been Wyatt’s second birthday later this month.
“I can’t believe how fast everybody came together and how fast it worked for me to get it back,” he said.
Peterborough police were investigating the theft which came just over a week after another man reported that a pendant containing the ashes of a loved one was stolen from a vehicle break-in on McClennan Street during the evening hours of Nov. 25 to Nov. 26.
“I really hope the community can come together and get that back to him as well,” said Fenn as he looked at his pendant. “I’m sure that would be a great Christmas gift for him… as this is this is the best one I can get.
“I’m glad to have it back. It’s right where it belongs.”