A Chilliwack woman is devastated after thieves stole upwards of $30,000 of jewelry she inherited from her mother who died last year.
Stephanie Hilton said approximately 500 rings in five or six cases, an earring display, and more were taken out of her garage after someone broke into her car and used her garage door opener.
The jewelry doesn’t have sentimental value in and of itself, but Hilton’s mother was ill for several years and she would buy and resell jewelry online.
“That was her way to earn some money and also leave her daughters an inheritance,” Hilton said.
“My inheritance is gone, just like that. In the blink of an eye, someone totally wiped me out. I’m devastated.”
The incident happened in the early hours of Nov. 25 at her townhouse complex on Promontory. The strata has no cameras but a neighbour’s dashboard camera caught a black Chrysler Town and Country minivan pull into the parking lot at 3:54 a.m. The vehicle was apparently stolen.
She didn’t hear anything but she said her son had a friend sleeping over and they heard something in the garage. The next day when she went to the garage to get out Christmas decorations she realized the jewelry, and her son’s bike, was gone.
“I kind of stood there in disbelief,” she said.
Hilton is sharing photos of her jewelry widely on social media hoping someone spots it or knows who stole it. She also posted that she is offering a $500 reward to anyone who returns the jewelry no questions asked.
“We were sleeping with children in the house,” she posted on Facebook. “They could have seen us sleeping for all I know. I have never felt so violated in my life.”
Hilton has called police and there is an open file but the jewelry has not been found as of Wednesday.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Chilliwack RCMP at 604-702-4000.
• RELATED: $73,000 in stolen Chilliwack jewelry returned
• RELATED: No bail for alleged carjacking jewelry store robber, says B.C. judge
@PeeJayAitch
paul.henderson@theprogress.com
Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.
