Barrie man's truck stolen from driveway with father's ashes inside
Police are investigating a report of a stolen Ram truck in Barrie containing the ashes of a family member who had recently passed away.
The victim said he bought the truck less than a year ago for camping trips with his family, but despite keeping his keys in a Faraday box, thieves still made off with it.
He thinks the culprits "jimmied" it to gain access.
The Barrie man said his father's ashes were in a plastic bag inside a cardboard box in a floor storage compartment behind the driver's seat.
He said he carried them in the truck since his father's death in 2021 to spread a little on each camping trip.
Barrie police say the white 2022 Ram sport pickup truck was stolen from a Puget Street driveway sometime between 11:30 p.m. Tuesday and 6:30 a.m. Wednesday.
The truck has a small dent in the rear of the passenger side bumper and an Ontario licence plate BR55655.
The victim told CTV News footprints were visible in the snow near his truck.
He added that while he is hopeful his truck is found, realistically, he believes it's "long gone."
Barrie police are requesting the public's help finding the truck and ask if anyone "should happen to locate a small cardboard box that has been abandoned or appears to have been discarded," to contact the service at 705-725-7025 or call 911.
RAM TRUCKS TARGETED BY THIEVES
Police say Ram pickup trucks are being targeted by thieves, with some winding up in shipping containers intended for overseas.
Last month, a Barrie family's $90,000 Ram truck was stolen from their driveway.
At the time, police confirmed a rise in stolen vehicles in the city.
Police report 344 occurrences of stolen motor vehicles in 2022.
They noted that in the first 20 days of 2023, 20 vehicles had been stolen in Barrie, with more than half of those being Ram trucks.
Police offered tips for vehicle owners to prevent theft, including contacting police immediately about any suspicious activity, parking in a locked garage, hiding key fobs away from windows, purchasing home surveillance, and inspecting vehicles regularly for suspicious potential tracking devices.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
It's no secret that spring can be a tumultuous time for Canadian weather, and as an unseasonably mild El Nino winter gives way to summer, there's bound to be a few swings in temperature that seem out of the ordinary. From Ontario to the Atlantic, though, this week is about to feel a little erratic.
What do weight loss drugs mean for a diet industry built on eating less and exercising more?
Recent injected drugs like Wegovy and its predecessor, the diabetes medication Ozempic, are reshaping the health and fitness industries.
He replaced Mickey Mantle. Now baseball's oldest living major leaguer is turning 100
The oldest living former major leaguer, Art Schallock turns 100 on Thursday and is being celebrated in the Bay Area and beyond as the milestone approaches.
What a urologist wants you to know about male infertility
When opposite sex couples are trying and failing to get pregnant, the attention often focuses on the woman. That’s not always the case.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Made-in-Newfoundland vodka claims top prize at worldwide competition
A Newfoundland-made vodka has been named one of the world’s best by judges at this year’s World Vodka Awards.