Father's last possessions stolen from family in The Woodlands
WOODLANDS, Texas (KTRK) -- "I wish they could have seen the heartbreak in my kid's faces when they realized they lost their grandfather's belongings," said Dawn McMinn.
McMinn's 12-year-old twins were left stunned after noticing the family vehicle was broken into and everyone's luggage was gone.
"It was devastating," she said.
Inside their luggage, they had mementos they had picked out from her father's home in Canada after his funeral.
Gary Cooper, a retired Canadian vet, died suddenly.
His family traveled from Texas to Canada to bury him.
On the way back home from the airport, they stopped at the Macaroni Grill in The Woodlands for a quick meal and that's when their Ford Explorer was broken into. "We just wanted to come home and finish grieving," Dawn said.
"We haven't been able to do that yet just dealing with the aftermath of the break-in."
What makes this even more heartbreaking for the family is that all of their priceless photos, keepsakes and more were taken by the thieves.
"A Canadian flag that was presented to me at my father's funeral for his military service, that was also in the bag," she said.
Also, a framed photo was inside her father's Roots Canada backpack.
Cooper himself had handwritten his address on a card in the front pocket. All of this has special meaning for the family.
"I'd like my belongings back I'd like for the people to be held responsible, but most importantly, I'd like the irreplaceable things back." Dawn pleaded.
