PEI·Video

'It broke my heart': Angel statue, in memory of child, stolen on P.E.I.

A little angel statue was stolen from a memorial in honour of Rachel Drake's late daughter Kendall. RCMP are asking for tips, and the family is asking the statue be returned.

'It's disheartening to know that people just take whatever they feel like taking'

'It broke my heart to see that someone would just take that'

3 years ago
Duration 1:31
Rachel Drake hopes a stolen angel, in memory of her 2-year-old daughter Kendall, will be returned.

Many colours on this pristine property fit a pattern of pinks and purples — all for a girl named Kendall. 

Pink and purple flowers, a purple watering can, a bench with purple and pink lettering that reads her name and pink licence plates that read "little angel." 

But one area on her grandparents' property is specifically hers: right under a large tree is where a white bench resides, as a memorial to Kendall with her name across it and an angel statue on either side.

That is until one of those angels was stolen this past weekend.

'It broke my heart to see that someone would just take that,' said Rachel Drake. (Cody MacKay/CBC)

Rachel Drake, Kendall's mom, said a person walking beside a black truck was spotted this weekend roaming on her parent's property late Saturday night. By morning, they'd found the bench was dragged to the road and one of the two memorial angel statues was missing.

"It broke my heart to see that someone would just take that," Drake said.

'She was my baby'

It's been over seven years since Kendall died. It happened suddenly at her grandparents' home in Cornwall, P.E.I. Kendall was two years, three months and 11 days old, Drake said.

"She was my baby. You're not supposed to lose a child. That day will forever be with me," she said.

The bench was made by her brother and sister-in-law for the first birthday without her, and Drake said it "means the world" to her.

Drake's other daughter, Charlee, never had a chance to meet her older sister, so taking out the bench and setting up the memorial each year is an important tradition to the family.

"When we take out the bench and see the angels it's our sign of summer and it's here and it's almost like a little bonding thing for Charlee," she said. "It's disheartening to know that people just take whatever they feel like taking." 

Rachel Drake and her daughter Charlee set up the memorial together. One of the two angel statues was reported stolen. (Cody MacKay/CBC)

She asks that whoever took the angel bring it back. While the actual statue itself wasn't unique, it holds sentimental value.

Drake took to Facebook to share what had happened, and got many comments. A woman reached out to her, Drake said, and bought a replacement angel.

It may not be the same, but she's grateful for the kind gesture made by someone in the community. "She bought it for me and for me to come pick it up whenever I want," she said. "I'm very grateful to be able to accept it." 

RCMP Sgt. Craig Eveleigh said there are currently no suspects, and there was no surveillance available in the area. 

He and RCMP are encouraging anyone with information to contact police. 

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Cody MacKay

Multi-platform journalist

Cody MacKay is a writer, editor and producer for CBC News on Prince Edward Island. From Summerside, he's a UPEI history and Carleton masters of journalism grad who joined CBC P.E.I. in 2017. You can reach him at cody.mackay@cbc.ca