‘Precious’ items stolen from storage unit
Heartbroken senior seeks help to locate items saved over a lifetime
ANiagara Falls senior is hoping the public can help her locate personal and ‘precious’ items that were recently stolen from a storage unit.
“My whole 67 years of life, including everything I’ve done since a newborn, was in that storage unit,” said an emotional Brenda Bowes. “Sometimes money just can’t replace things that were a one-time memento of who you are and where you came from.”
She said her 10-by-20 storage unit in the area of Stanley Avenue and Church’s Lane was broken into, adding “basically” all that was left was her furniture.
“Everything I’ve collected, my whole life, which were antiques, all family history, photo albums for 55 years of all my family, my parents, my deceased husband — all of their personal affects,” said Bowes.
“Things having to do with my parents’ Air Force life, pre and post Second World War. I also had a collection of albums from the Corvette Cruise for six years in Wasaga Beach. I have historical newspapers that date back to 1977. I come from a back
ground of military and everything in there was taken from me.”
She said a guitar that belonged to her late husband was also stolen.
“I don’t even have a picture of him.”
Bowes said she put together a book detailing her whole family tree, which took a long time to make.
“I wrote to my deceased husband to get through a grieving process. I went to counselling
because it was a sudden death and I was so upset by it. The counsellor (suggested she write a journal), so I wrote letters to him every single night — I wrote a letter every day for 18 months.”
Bowes said she’s clinging to some hope the public may be able to help.
“If they’ve seen anything or if they can call somebody to say that they have seen it, or they know the location of some of these (items). I’m physically and emotionally exhausted. My days and nights are a living hell.”
She said this is the second time items were stolen from a storage area in the past three years. Since June, Niagara Regional Police have been investigating a series of commercial break and enters in Niagara Falls involving a male suspect. .
Last Wednesday, detectives executed a search warrant at a residence in the area of Ascot Circle and Preakness Street, and four storage units associated to the suspect. Detectives seized a large amount of property that had been stolen.
That same day, Shane Cowell, 33, of Niagara Falls, was arrested. He was charged with break and enter/commit theft, possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000, possession of a controlled substance, and possession of a prohibited weapon.
Police ask anyone with information to call detectives at 905688-4111 ext. 2200.
Bowes said while she has received some of her items back, most of the more precious belongings are still missing.
“They took all of those positive things out of my life. I’m a very heartbroken person.”