Florida Man’s Stolen Car with Mom’s Ashes Still Missing
A Florida man’s stolen car is bad. However, a man’s Mother’s ashes stolen? That’s is even worse. In the dead of night, Florida man, Larry Carter Jr. slept through a heist that left him in disbelief. According to WFLA, his prized possession, a 2023 Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Redeye Jailbreak, vanished without a sound at his Winter Haven home. POOF! It was gone. Someone smashed the passenger window and snuck away with his wheels, probably rolling it out of his Winter Haven neighborhood before revving up the engine.
Florida Man’s Stolen Car:
For Carter, this car wasn’t just a ride… It was a tribute to his late mother, Lorena Leonard. The stolen car was adorned with not only her name, it held a piece of her within… The stolen car had her ashes kept in the cupholder! Losing the car meant losing a connection to her, leaving Larry feeling lost without his folks’ support.
Thankfully, a glimmer of humanity was seen through the thief’s actions. They returned his mother’s ashes. They also decided to secretly leave them in the victims’ mailbox. Carter, was, of course, relieved to have his mother returned to him.
But he was sure to handle it carefully, because he wanted to be sure that any evidence left behind could be collected. At this point, any evidence that might help catch the culprit is needed.
Florida Man’s Stolen Car Still Missing:
Winter Haven’s finest stepped in, canvassing the neighborhood and gathering clues. Nothing has turned up so far, unfortunately. Carter still clings to hope of recovering, however. His wheels may still be gone, but he finds solace in the return of his mother’s ashes.
Despite the violation, he sees a flicker of goodness in the perpetrator… It was a reminder that even in darkness, there’s a shred of light. Or the thief didn’t want to be haunted by a random dude’s mom.
At the end of the day, it’s not just about the wheels. It’s about the memories, you know, the mushy stuff. It’s about the toughness to bounce back from a punch in the gut. Even when some jerk swipes your ride, what really counts is the love and spirit that can’t be grabbed.
The Top 10 Most Stolen Vehicles In The State of Florida
10. Hyundai Sonata
Hyundai Motor Company shows off a 2019 Sonata Hybrid at the Chicago Auto Show on February 8, 2018 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)
The Hyundai Sonata comes in 10th on the list of most stolen vehicles in Florida. 577 were stolen last year with the most common model year taken being the 2013. This was one of the vehicles documented online on how easy they were to steal. The only surprise it’s that more weren’t stolen,
9. Honda CR-V
(Photo by Alex Edelman/Getty Images)
The Honda CR-V is a very common vehicle here in Florida. 580 were stolen last year with the most common year taken being the 2021. This car is victim of global supply and demand. If your Honda CR-V is stolen, it may end up in a shipping container heading overseas.
8. Dodge Charger
(Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
This car may rise in popularity now that Dodge is discontinuing the gas powered models. 639 were stolen last year in Florida with the most targeted model year being 2021. This car was targeted after it was shown online that if you broke a window and climbed in you could put the car in neutral and push it down the street. From there it takes thieves about 90 seconds to program a new key FOB and then drive away.
7. Honda Civic
(Photo by Tomohiro Ohsumi/Getty Images)
772 Honda Civics were stolen last year in Florida. The 2020 model was the favorite. In 2022 a hacker developed a way to remotely unlock and start these cars. Made them waaaaay too easy to steal until that vulnerability was fixed.
6. Toyota Corolla
(Photo by Robert Hradil/Getty Images)
There’s so many Toyota Corollas in Florida it’s no wonder this car made the list. 887 were stolen last year with the 2021 model being the most common.
5. Toyota Camry
(Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)
Like the Corolla, there are a LOT of these cars on the road here in Florida. 989 stolen here in the state and the 2021 model was the one most targeted. Throw an Apple Air Tag in the back for a cheap piece of mind.
4. Chevrolet Pickup (Full Size)
(Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images)
Tops in the nation, but 4th on the Florida list. Full size Chevy pickups had 992 reported stolen in Florida last year. The 2021 was the most common. There’s a theory that these trucks are being targeted for their the catalytic converters.
3. Nissan Altima
(Photo by Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images)
Another very common vehicle on the Florida roads, 1,000 Nissan Altimas were reported stolen in Florida last year. The 2015 was the year most swiped. If you have an Altima you need to read up on a “relay attack.”
2. Honda Accord
(Photo by Thananuwat Srirasant/Getty Images)
Honda Accords were the 2nd most targeted vehicle in Florida last year. 1,003 were taken with the 2021 being the most targeted.
1. Ford Pickup (Full Size)
(Photo by Nic Antaya/Getty Images)
And this is where we see the jump. 2,030 Ford pickups were stolen in Florida. The most common being the 2006 model. There are a lot of these trucks here in Southwest Florida, but one of the reasons so many are stolen may seem kind of simple. Some of the models are just too big to fit in the garage. Since the truck is in the driveway it’s very vulnerable to a relay attack.
