A mother is devastated after heartless car thieves stole her teenage son’s ashes, which were left inside the vehicle.
Jamie Rees, a student, died several days after suffering a cardiac arrest in the early hours of New Year’s Day 2022.
Jamie’s elder brother has kept a photograph and some of his ashes in his Volkswagen Golf GTD since his death, but the car was stolen on February 16.
“We’re devastated,” Jamie’s mother Naomi, from Warwickshire, told the Coventry Telegraph.
“My son transported some of Jamie’s ashes in the car, and a photograph of Jamie is on the dashboard, so they would have had to be looking at Jamie while stealing the car.”
The family has now offered a £1,000 reward for any information leading to the safe return of the car and ashes.
“This incident is an example of the heartless nature of these criminals,” said Chief Inspector Jim Rankin, policing commander for the Rugby area.
“Tackling vehicle crime is currently a priority for the force, with additional investment and resources being used to combat it.
“We are running Operation Inception targeting vehicle crime in the Rugby area. This is done to disrupt criminal activity and identify those responsible.
“This operation has already resulted in a number of significant arrests and has had a significant impact on vehicle crime in the Rugby area.”
The OurJay Foundation, established in Jamie’s memory last year, has raised tens of thousands of pounds for more than 35 defibrillators to be installed in prominent locations throughout Rugby.
The charity, which has picked up where the JustGiving page left off in the aftermath of the teenager’s tragic death, also raises awareness about the importance of having publicly accessible automated external defibrillators at all times.
A lack of publicly accessible defibrillators in Rugby, as well as a lengthy delay in critical care reaching Jamie after he collapsed while watching fireworks with friends, are thought to have given him a slim chance of survival.
He died on January 5, 2022, at University Hospital Coventry, with his family by his side.
Anyone with information about the theft of a vehicle is asked to call Warwickshire Police on 101. Information can also be given to the independent charity Crimestoppers, which can be reached at 0800 555 111.
»Car thieves leave woman devastated as the stole her son’s ashes with the car«
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