PEI

Charlottetown family's home robbed, son's piggy bank stolen

A Charlottetown family is asking islanders to keep an eye on their money to help catch a thief.

6-year-old Jackson's piggy bank was filled with family mementos, small bills scrawled with names and dates

(Jessica Doria-Brown/CBC)

A Charlottetown family is asking islanders to keep an eye on their money to help catch a thief.

The Saunders home was recently broken into and six-year-old Jackson Saunders' piggy bank was stolen.

Linda Saunders' Facebook post has already been shared more than 1,600 times. (KrisandLinda Saunders/Facebook)

But the bank wasn't just filled with money, it was full of momentos — bills gifted to him by relatives with names and dates scribbled on the money, tickets from trips and excursions with his family. Jackson wanted to keep the souvenirs. 

"It's not the money in the piggy bank that's important, it's the fact that a lot of the money had info written on it, 'to Jackson from so-and-so,' on a certain occasion," said Jackson's father Kris Saunders. "That might be helpful to people who come across bills like that."

A new collection 

Linda Saunders posted the story to social media to alert the community there was a thief on the prowl and raise awareness in the hope that some of Jackson's treasures might find their way back home.

"Maybe somebody would find one of the bills that was written on and in the greater picture maybe help the police find the person who has been invading people's homes," she said.

The Facebook post has already been shared more than 1,600 times. A P.E.I. man living in New Brunswick saw it and started collecting signed coins for Jackson so the little boy would know there are still good people in the world.

"I have three kids of my own, all under the age of 5, you feel pretty sympathetic for them, how it would be if it was your own children," said Shamus Bernard.

On Bernard's Facebook post, he says he is looking for people to donate coins and attach a sticker with their name and hometown. He's hoping to buy a new piggy bank, or have one donated large enough to hold all of the coins.