San Jose Woman's Purse Stolen Following Mother's Funeral; Suspects Seen Using Stolen Credit Card
SAN JOSE (CBS SF) -- A woman's whose purse was stolen following her mother's funeral in San Jose is desperate to get back what was inside it, and has done her own detective work to track down the suspects.
Helen Orzel said after she got home from the memorial service on April 11, thieves went into her unlocked car in her driveway and stole her purse containing cherished items from her mother.
Among the items Orzel said were in the purse:
- A death certificate for her mother, Jane Orzel - a well-known and respected bassoon player in the Bay Area.
- Her mothers's last will and testament
- Two bassoon reeds inside two separate wallet-sized leather cases
- Three pairs of handmade earrings, one with stars, another with lady bugs and the third with amethyst rock
- An unpolished opal rock wrapped with silver wire, connected to a chain
The handmade items were gifts from her mother. "It wasn't just taking my purse, it was like you took a piece of my life and what was left of my mother," said Orzel.
The next day she saw charges on her credit card from a Jack In the Box near San Jose State University as well as a 7-Eleven.
Instead of waiting for the short-staffed San Jose Police Department to help, Orzel decided to do some detective work of her own. After filing a police report, she convinced the Jack In The Box owner to hand over surveillance video of the suspects.
Orzel believes whoever stole her purse knew her mother had just died because of the documents inside. "It was like somebody kicked me while I was down," said Orzel. "They knew exactly what they'd done."
Police have not yet confirmed if the people in the surveillance pictures are the suspects in the case.
"I mean someone who lost their parents I don't know, it's messed up," an acquaintance of the victim said. "She will never see her mom again but the little bit of memory she had she lost it."
Orzel said she doesn't care about her purse or credit card charges. She just wants her mother's things back.