In what police are calling "a sick crime of opportunity" an urn worth $2,500 was stolen from a Parksville cemetery.
Oceanside RCMP Cpl. Jesse Foreman confirmed it was empty.
On July 20 a brass urn decorated with three dolphins was pried out of its concrete housing underneath a memorial bench on the grounds of Yates Funeral Service.
As no leads have come forward, Mounties are calling on the public for help.
"Police do not feel it is random," Foreman told
The NEWS in an e-mail Tuesday. "It was presumably a sick crime of opportunity due to the fact that it was expensive metal that was fairly easily removed."
Foreman said the urn was the only item stolen at Yates Funeral Service on July 20 and nothing else was damaged on the grounds.
He said the urn is "priceless to the family of the deceased in which it was dedicated."
Oceanside RCMP are seeking public assistance in identifying who is responsible for this crime with the ultimate goal of being able to return the missing urn to the family. Anyone with information concerning this incident is asked to contact the Oceanside RCMP at 250-248-6111 or Crime Stoppers at 1-888-222-8477.