Military Medals Stolen During Oroville Evacuation Recovered
YUBA CITY (CBS SF) — Military medals stolen from a veteran's home by looters during the Oroville Dam evacuation have been recovered and three people have been arrested, Yuba City police said.
Vietnam veteran Mike Pomeroy had numerous medals and honors taken from him, including Purple Hearts by the thieves in the heinous home break-in.
Investigators said a truck owner found the medals in the back of his vehicle and brought them to the Yuba City Police Department.
Two adult females and one adult male have been arrested for their involvement in the case.
Yuba City Police Chief Robert Landon personally reunited the family with the medals over the weekend.
Yuba City and Marysville police both report less than a dozen burglaries during the days when residents were evacuated from their homes, but the Pomeroy case stood out.
Hours after Pomeroy and his wife left their home, thieves broke a window to get into their home. The thieves snatched medals out of a briefcase upstairs, taking three gold pocket watches, pearls and countless other items.
Pomeroy -- who earned the medals as a medic in Vietnam -- tucked away the honors and memories of the difficult time like so many soldiers did after Vietnam. The theft isn't just a huge loss, but it brought back some deep emotions.
"They're not good to anybody but me," he said.