A 75-year-old lady in East L.A. thought she was serving to out a stranger. As an alternative, her household says, thieves drove off with a gold necklace that was priceless to her as a result of it carried the ashes of her late daughter.
“She was crying hysterically, saying, ‘They stole my chain, they stole my chain!’” mentioned Jesse Guerrero, 57, the girl’s son.
The incident occurred on Dec. 15 after Esther Guerrero and her husband returned to their residence within the 300 block of Gerhart Avenue after a procuring journey to downtown L.A.
Guerrero had simply stopped to let her husband out and was making her option to the again of her Ford Explorer to seize her baggage when she seen a white automotive drive previous after which reverse again towards her SUV.
Esther Guerrero holds a portrait of her late daughter, Veronika Garcia, a retired deputy with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Division who died Might 3 in a automotive crash in Idaho.
(KTLA)
Jesse Guerrero mentioned the folks within the white automotive referred to as his mom over and mentioned, “My mother’s actually sick, have you learnt if there’s a pharmacy close by?”
Guerrero’s mom walked towards the window of the automotive to provide them instructions. Inside she noticed two ladies and a younger little one, he mentioned. She additionally seen a knife close to the middle console and determined to maneuver away from the automotive.
However Guerrero mentioned a lady who was sitting within the backseat stored speaking to his mom and received out of the automotive, saying she needed to thank her for the instructions.
He mentioned the girl provided his mom cash.
“My mother, she tried to push her away and mentioned, ‘No, I don’t want something,’” Guerrero mentioned.
However the lady insisted, provided to provide his mother a series and tried to place it round her neck. Guerrero mentioned his mom resisted and refused the chain. The girl then hugged his mom.
In some unspecified time in the future, Guerrero mentioned, the girl took his mom’s gold necklace and golden cross from her and left an affordable chain hanging round her neck. The girl hurried again contained in the automotive and drove away.
His mom mentioned that “as they sped away, she seen it was gone,” Guerrero mentioned.
Jesse Guerrero lives throughout the road from his mother and father and mentioned he was driving north on Gerhart Avenue quickly after the theft when he noticed his mom on the road, crying.
It wasn’t the misplaced necklace that sparked her despair, he mentioned, however the gold cross, which carried the ashes of Esther Guerrero’s daughter.
Veronika Garcia, a retired deputy with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Division, died Might 3 in a automotive crash in Idaho. After her loss of life, Jesse Guerrero mentioned, Garcia’s husband gifted her mother and father with two equivalent gold necklaces with a cross.
The golden cross has two distinct wings making up its horizontal half, he mentioned, and carry a few of Garcia’s ashes inside.
He mentioned his mom had worn and stored that cross together with her because it was given to her.
His mom informed him the white automotive, which seemed to be an Audi, drove towards Beverly Boulevard. Guerrero continued to drive, on the lookout for the automotive, however was unable to find it.
He’s pushed across the space these previous days together with his mom, hoping to acknowledge the ladies who took the cross from her. Guerrero additionally has visited pawn retailers, hoping to seek out it.
Prior to now week, he mentioned, he and his siblings have been attempting to maintain his mom busy with Christmas preparations. She’s been heartbroken by the theft, he mentioned, they usually’re attempting to maintain her from dwelling on it.
Detectives with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Division have been assigned to the case, and Guerrero mentioned he’d additionally reached out to different police departments about comparable incidents. Nonetheless, they’ve had no luck.
Now, he mentioned, he and his household are making a public plea and asking the individuals who took the necklace to return the cross.
“We’re hoping they throw it on the grass, toss it on the porch, or put it within the mailbox, no matter it’s,” he mentioned. “As my mother mentioned — ‘All I want is the cross, overlook the chain. I simply want the cross.’”
