Amber Coyle's dad died five years ago and she has carried his Alberta ID in her wallet ever since. That changed last weekend when it was stolen from her truck near Mission Creek Park.
Image Credit: Contributed
May 13, 2015 - 3:33 PM
KELOWNA – When Amber Coyle would visit her dad at the extended care home where he spent his final years, she’d always look through his wallet.
“He had all of my school pictures from Kindergarten through Grade 12 in there," she says. "He also had pictures of my mom and my sister and I so I'd pull those out and flip through. When he passed away five years ago, the only thing I wanted was his wallet.”
The wallet and its contents are so special to Coyle that she has carried his Alberta ID with her in her own wallet ever since. That changed last Sunday at around 9:30 a.m.
She was out for a run at Mission Creek Park and left her wallet and purse in her truck. When she came back a while later, she unlocked the door, got in and drove away.
It took her a day to notice her purse wasn’t there.
“I had no idea how they got in, there was no damage at all that I could see,” she says. “I was completely devastated. Anybody that knows me knows how important his ID is to me.”
Coyle cancelled her credit cards but found out that two cash advances were withdrawn from her Mastercard for a total of $1,500. She reported the theft to RCMP and decided to post it to her own Facebook page as well. It didn’t take long for a tip to come in from someone who told her to look for a dent between the roof and door.
“Lo and behold, it was there,” she says. “It was a very specific tip that included the name of the person he thought did it… it sounds like he’s done it multiple times."
According to Coyle, the man, whose name she says she's never heard before, owns a business in Kelowna.
"The guy said his business is just a front and he’s been doing this for a while," Coyle says.
She gave the name to RCMP who say they are following up.
Cpl. Joe Duncan says the investigating officer will spend today looking into whether video footage of the suspect was captured at the ATM and will likely show a still photo to Coyle to see if she recognizes him.
“I’m still very concerned how they knew my PIN,” she says. “My first thought was it’s gotta be someone I know. That’s a horrible thought.”
Until then she is left worrying about whether or not she will ever see her treasured keepsake again.
“I’m truly hoping that based on the tip I got as well as the footage that we can nail this guy,” she says. “The $1,500 cash is whatever, it’s not a big deal but I can’t replace my dad’s ID.”
The ID was in a bright blue Guess wallet with a zipper. Anyone with any information is asked to call Const. Dawn Adams at 250-762-3300.
A dent between the door and roof of the truck is the only sign of forced entry.
Image Credit: Contributed
To contact the reporter for this story, email Adam Proskiw at aproskiw@infonews.ca or call 250-718-0428. To contact the editor, email mjones@infonews.ca or call 250-718-2724.
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