Christmas was stolen out of the trunk of a Langley senior’s car last week, in the form of wrapped gifts for a good cause.
On Thursday, Dec. 13, Mary Kydd went down to her car parked in her Langley City apartment building’s underground garage, and discovered the passenger side window had been smashed, and approximately eight Christmas presents worth upwards of $300 were stolen.
“It’s kind of a Grinch story,” Kydd said.
Kydd volunteers with the Langley Meals on Wheels program, and she explained the gifts had been donated from the organization’s Boutique Finds thrift shop for the annual Meals on Wheels Christmas party silent auction fundraiser.
“It annoys me. I’ve been a social worker, I’m involved in the community. It’s just sad whoever it was, was so desperate. It’s unnerving,” Kydd added.
In addition to the stolen gifts, the communal storage locker in the parkade was also broken into, and the thief took off with a sports bag filled with shoes that Kydd had stored there.
She moved to Langley eight years ago, to be closer to her grandchildren, and has never had a problem with theft or vandalism at her building before.
Despite fewer silent auction presents, the Meals on Wheels party carried on, without Kydd – who was now busy dealing with the aftermath of the theft.
Langley Meals on Wheels executive director Shannon Woykin, said volunteers managed to come up with a few last-minute replacement gifts.
“We were shocked and saddened by the event, but really we felt so bad for Mary. We scrambled and made up some stuff [gifts] so she wouldn’t feel so bad.”
Langley RCMP Cpl. Holly Largy said police are investigating the case, and are waiting for surveillance video from the building’s management.
“Cars get broken into in garages all the time. We’re hoping there will be some good surveillance video to get the guy ID’d,” Largy said.
Kydd’s expenses are a $300 deductible for the car window, and a $500 deductible for the property stolen from the building’s storage – a price tag that she can’t afford to pay at Christmas time.
“It’s too bad because they’re desperate people usually who do that, but maybe they were trying to give Christmas presents,” Kydd concluded.