On May 9th, 2018, a thief broke into her home in Belgravia - not once, but twice - and made off with thousands of dollars of jewelry, “family heirlooms”, some of which were her daughter’s.
The back-to-back break-ins last month have left Leslie and her husband, Rick Morgenstern, shaken and sad.
“I’m usually a very positive person, though this has understandably left both my husband and I dealing with a lot of emotions,” said Morgenstern, 72, who spent the last 12 years raising her two grandchildren, left behind after their parents perished in the 2006 fiery collision in B.C.
“Some of it was expensive jewelry, which also included my own pieces such as my wedding ring and jewelry from my sister who has since passed. More importantly, this individual took things much more valuable than money – he stole some of the few treasured items I had left from Mia.”
Southwest Division detectives are investigating the two break-ins, the first occurring on May 9, where more than $120,000 worth of custom-made jewelry items were stolen. The thieves also made off with a key fob to Leslie’s 2008 black Acura MDX (licence #BBR1797), something that wasn’t initially noticed, until the suspect returned on May 20th, and broke into their detached garage and drove away with her vehicle.
“We weren’t home the first time the individual ransacked our home, but I was home and sound asleep when they returned on May 20th to steal my car,” says Leslie, who awoke to the sound of the house alarm, then watched as her vehicle disappeared into the distance.
“This has left my husband and I feeling very vulnerable, emotional and very unsettled, as a result. I had planned on giving my granddaughter one of her mother’s necklaces for her prom. Sadly, that won’t be happening now.”
Investigators have since arrested and charged Joshua Little, 38, with carry concealed weapon, failure to comply with probation order (x 3), possession of stolen identity (x 2), housebreaking and commit theft under $5,000. Little remains in custody at this time, and further charges are pending.
“We’re grateful investigators were able to locate and charge this individual. Thankfully, some of the jewelry has been returned to us. Unfortunately, there are many pieces with sentimental value that were never found (see photos, drawings below). We’re hopeful that someone out there will understand the significance of this jewelry to my family and return it promptly,” says Morgenstern.
Anyone with information about these residential B&Es or the whereabouts of the stolen jewelry or 2008 black Acura MDX is asked to contact the EPS at 780-423-4567 or #377 from a mobile phone. Anonymous information can also be submitted to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or online at www.tipsubmit.com/start.htm.
