A Calgary woman is on the hunt for her truck and her pup’s ashes after both were stolen from outside her son’s home.
Sherry Payette told Global News she discovered the 1995 GMC half-tonne was missing on the morning of May 1.
“At about quarter to six I looked out the kitchen window,” she recounted, “and my truck was gone.”
Also gone, the ashes belonging to her Siberian husky Tamika, who had passed away back in 2018.
“She was in a blue heart,” she said tearfully. “Hanging from my mirror in my truck.”
Surveillance camera footage from neighbouring homes showed Payette’s truck driving away shortly before 4:30 a.m., just an hour before she got up. The theft took less than five minutes to carry out and it was done on a busy and well-lit street.
“Obviously they weren’t scared to do it. They’ve probably been doing this for a while,” Payette pointed out.
Payette believes the thieves had actually already cased out the home and the truck, pointing to some signs her truck had been tampered with in the days leading up to the theft. Neighours also captured a white van canvassing the area shortly before.
“They’d been scoping my truck for a while.”
Calgary police told Global News the number of vehicle thefts has been on the rise.
“During COVID we saw a decrease in vehicle thefts,” Const. Stuart Polege with the crime prevention unit said. “People were home more so the access to the vehicles was not there as much. But it’s starting to go up again.”
The latest CPS statistics show 5,958 vehicles were stolen in Calgary in 2022 vs. 4,985 in 2021. Global News also reached out to ALERT – Alberta’s Law Enforcement Response Teams. ALERT told us its auto crimes team in Calgary, which only investigates organized auto crime, recovered 58 stolen vehicles worth $3,13M.
Polege added many of the vehicles stolen are used for various purposes including to commit a crime.
“Vehicles are typically stolen for other criminal activities,” he said. “Higher-end vehicles are stolen for the vehicle themselves — for parts.”
His suggestion to not become a victim:
“Lock your vehicles. Do not keep valuables or things that are of sentimental value to you in your vehicle. Park in the garage if you can or the parkade.”
Payette said her vehicle was locked, but added it is old so it does not have any anti-theft devices. That will change, she said, if and when she gets it back.
“I hope I get it back and it’s going to be fully armed.”
The family is offering $500 for the safe return of the vehicle and the ashes.
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