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Okanagan theft victim thanks community for kindness

Vernon woman had purse and cell phone stolen from locked vehicle after window smashed in
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In the wake of devastation, a person can find compassion and support oh so soothing.

Ask Ruby Trembicki, a relative newcomer to Vernon from Alberta two years ago, now a firm believer in the kindness of strangers to help counter the ruthlessness of strangers.

Trembicki and a friend had been playing pickleball Thursday morning at the Vernon Pickleball Association courts at Marshall Field. After about 90 minutes of play, they got into Trembicki’s car and drove to the Lakers Clubhouse at the western side of Marshall Field in order to walk Trembicki’s dog in the off-leash area.

After the walk, the pair returned to find the passenger side window of Trembicki’s Honda CRV smashed. Gone, from under the dog’s blanket, was Trembicki’s purse which contained her cell phone, her wallet, identification and, most important, pictures and memories of her late son, Jordan.

“This isn’t a story about the theft, it’s about the kindness of the community,” said a struggling Trembicki through tears to a reporter from a phone at a business where she was dealing with the aftermath.

“I’m so upset by what happened but people have just been remarkable and I wanted to thank them.”

READ ALSO: Vernon RCMP seek car break-in stories

She went to a pair of banks, RBC and CIBC, where employees named Nicole, Courtenay and Sam spent as much as a half-an-hour helping her with her accounts and information, all while she’s emotionally a mess from the trauma of her vehicle being entered and personal items stolen.

Vernon RCMP Const. Ashley Allan received high praise for helping to calm Trembicki down, as did Megan and Sam from Johnston Meier Insurance, who didn’t leave Trembicki’s side as she dealt with the insurance for the damage to her window, and the staff at Crystal Glass, where Trembicki got her broken window fixed, and let her use a phone so she could publicly thank everyone who helped her.

The purse and cell phone can be replaced. Trembicki, though, would love to have the photos of her son returned.

Anybody with any information on the theft can call the Vernon-North Okanagan RCMP at 250-545-7171 and quote file #2019-7540.



roger@vernonmorningstar.com

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Roger Knox

About the Author: Roger Knox

I am a journalist with more than 30 years of experience in the industry. I started my career in radio and have spent the last 21 years working with Black Press Media.
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