Stolen Grandmother's Ashes Found And Returned To Family

LOS ANGELES (CBS) — Officials announced Sunday that stolen human remains -- placed inside a box and then inside a duffel bag -- were recovered today and returned to the family.

The cremated remains, often referred to as cremains, were stolen along with other luggage from a SUV parked inside the Westfield Promenade, a mall in Woodland Hills last Monday.

Some of the stolen items were recovered during the week. But the bag with the ashes was not found until this morning.

Mall security found the bag about 7:30 Sunday, almost a week after the theft.

Betty Weikert's daughter had left the bag, and ashes, inside her vehicle -- a GMC Yukon Sports Utility Vehicle -- in preparation for a trip east to spread the ashes of her mother.

KCAL9 spoke to the deceased woman's grandson, Matt Powell, this past Tuesday. He called the theft "unimaginable."

The family had been planning to fly his grandmother's ashes back to the East Coast later that night so she could be reunited with her husband's ashes.

The investigation into the theft is ongoing and detectives are asking anyone with information to contact the Topanga Watch Commander at (818) 756-4800. During non-business hours or on weekends, calls should be directed to 1-877-LAPD-24-7 (1-877-527-3247). Anyone wishing to remain anonymous should call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (1-800-222-8477).