Family that evacuated Colorado home during Quarry Fire says late grandfather's statues were stolen
Most Quarry Fire evacuees are getting closer to good news. Jefferson County officials say they're working to get the fire contained to a level where many will be able to return to their homes.
It's good news that comes a little too late for one of those families -- now the victims of theft.
"I filled the whole thing up to the brim," JJ Jijon said, motioning toward the back of his pickup truck.
He had no idea when he left his home where he would go or for how long. But when the evacuation call came he knew there were some items he couldn't leave behind
"And I grabbed that because it meant a lot and they took that from us," he said, his voice breaking, of the items he says were stolen.
His wife Jasmine and sons Liam and Sebastian were away when the Quarry Fire first ignited, but they returned as it was exploding. They needed a place to stay and landed at a nearby hotel.
"Unloaded everything that we could put everything we could in the hotel, everything else that we could inside the truck and I left some items in the bed of the truck covered with a tarp and strapped in," JJ said.
It wasn't enough to stop the thieves.
The family lost a number of valuables; snowboards and boots -- the first for these brothers.
"It makes me really upset and angry," Sebastian said.
Also gone are laptops and golden concrete cat statues, which are worthless to anyone but the family.
"They're not even that cute, but I've loved them since I was a little girl and then when I went to clean out my grandparents' home after my grandfather passed away in March, I got to bring them home," Jasmine said through tears.
While not valuable to anyone else, they're priceless pieces of Jasmine's family history that she fears are gone forever.
"Think about when you're evacuating and you have the potential to lose your home, the things you choose to bring have value, whether it's of sentimental or financial, but for somebody to rob from an evacuee's truck, obviously these things meant something," she said.
While they're frustrated and feeling defeated, they're sharing their story, hopeful someone will see those items and bring them back.
"If this brings those irreplaceable items back to us, it would be really important for my wife and for our family and to pass that down to the kids," JJ said.
The Jefferson County Sheriff's Office is setting up a way to donate directly to the family. If you can help, you're asked to email victimservices@jeffco.us or call 303-271-5339.
