Urn stolen in Ft. Bend County burglary

HOUSTON Police say the men caught in surveillance pictures got away with a lot more than just valuable items during a home burglary last week. One of the items they stole was an urn filled with the ashes of the homeowner's late husband.

It's unclear if the suspect or suspects knew if what they were stealing is an urn with the remains inside it. Investigators say it's about as low as you can get.

The victim didn't want to be identified, out of fear that the suspects could come after her.

After 43 years of marriage, her husband died last fall.

"He was the love of my life, and he was the only one," the homeowner said.

Last week, while she was at work, someone broke into her home and stole jewelry, a TV and the urn of her late husband. It was a wooden box she feared she'd never see it again.

"It disgusted me. It disgusted me," she said. "What I had to go through the last year and then have this happen to me. How low could somebody be?"

The suspects got inside by using a brick to bash in a living room window at the rear of the house.

A surveillance video was taken of the suspects by cameras at a neighbor's home. Eyewitnesses report seeing three Hispanic men running from the house; their faces were covered in bandanas. Investigators believe the men met briefly in a park nearby then fled in a black older model Honda Accord with missing hubcaps.

Detectives say it was likely not until sometime later that the burglars realized the box contained nothing of monetary value, only sentimental.

"Major mistake," Fort Bend County Sheriff's Office Chief Craig Brady said. "I'm sure they were rather shocked when they opened up that box and determined what was inside."

Detectives say just yesterday someone returned the box containing the remains. Neighbors say it was found nearby, abandoned on the side of the street. The widow, who is still grieving, is just relieved to have her husband back.

"I wouldn't want it to happen to anybody else," she said. "I want them to get caught."

If you recognize the people in that surveillance video or know anything about this case, you can call Fort Bend County Crime Stoppers at 281-342-8477.