When an elderly woman’s car is stolen, a cherished memento is all she wants back.
Having a car or other material item stolen is inconvenient, irritating, and extremely stressful. However, when something of sentimental value is taken away, the loss can be traumatic. When police from the Laurel Police Department responded to a call about a stolen vehicle, they learned that the car belonged to a 66-year-old Laurel woman.
Something special was in that car.
She told the police that while she was shopping, two men had stolen her 1995 Ford Ranger from the parking lot. Officers later learned that one of her most cherished possessions was inside the stolen car. She always kept her late husband’s Vietnam veteran hat in the car as a memory. With the car now stolen, all that concerned her was getting the hat back.
They were wearing her husband’s hat.
The woman told police that she noticed two men driving her car away from the store and one was even wearing her husband’s hat. The police got a description of the men and started their search.
Police locate the car.
The vehicle was found a few hours later. The two men left it and took off, however, not long after it was found police were able to arrest two people that fit the description of the suspects.
The hat was not recovered.
The woman was happy her car was found but she pleaded with police to find her husband’s hat. Even after a joint search by Delaware State Police and Salisbury Police Department, the officers weren’t able to find the hat. The Laurel Police Department put a post on Facebook about the stolen car and the missing hat.
Laurel police share the news online.
The car theft is mentioned on the department’s Facebook page. The police tell the public that the car was found but the hat was not recovered.
Laurel Police Department goes over and above.
Touched by the woman’s story and the loss she felt without her late husband’s hat, Laurel Police Officers decided to do something to cheer her up. In an updated post on Facebook, the officers mention their act of kindness.
The post read, “UPDATE TO LAST POST (STOLEN VEHICLE)**. The Laurel Police Department, along with assistance from the Delaware State Police and the Salisbury Police Department searched extensively for the victim’s missing hat. Unfortunately, the hat was not recovered. Throughout the investigation, her main concern was recovering her late husband’s hat. With that in mind, patrol officers came together and purchased a duplicate Vietnam War Air Force Veteran Hat to replace the original. One Laurel Police Officer, who served as a United States Marine, also donated a retired American Flag that had once been flown in Afghanistan by American Troops. On Monday, officers responded to her residence to present her with the replacement hat and American Flag in memory of her husband.” – Facebook Laurel Police Department
Posted by Laurel Police Department on Monday, November 8, 2021
The Facebook post blows up.
The Laurel community and beyond were overwhelmed by the officer’s gesture of kindness. People wanted the officers to know that their actions were appreciated. One person wrote on Facebook, “What a sweet gesture. Thank you to you all for seeing the true value in her request and being so thoughtful. There are so many different ways of serving the public and this just proves that these men and women truly do the job to its finest.” Another person wrote, “I love this! Thank you officers for doing this incredibly sweet gesture! Stay safe”
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