Pink safe with Nazi memorabilia, 300-year-old Bible stolen

A Sarnia man is offering a reward for the return of a 300-year-old family Bible, Nazi war memorabilia and silver bars.

Craig Demarais had a hefty pink safe, weighing hundreds of kilograms, swiped from his house Monday.

He told CBC's Afternoon Drive he would give "hundreds of dollars" to anyone who finds his family heirlooms.

The safe also contained $1,000 in cash saved for Christmas, a collection of paper currency, a gold pocket watch, silver coins, silver bars and an 1871 Dutch coin displayed on a chain.

Demarais says other family heirlooms in the safe included war medals and mementos collected by his uncle, who served overseas.

"There was also a couple swastika ribbons that I assume were cut off a German soldier's uniform, because they still had the threads where they had been stitched on; the Nazi symbol [is] right on them. When you see them, you know they're German," he said. "I don't think that's something that pops into the market that often. Those are things that I'm hoping will stand out that if somebody went, 'Hey, I just seen so-and-so a couple swastika ribbons,' ya know?"

Demarais is shocked someone could make off with the pink safe he originally bought for a former girlfriend.

"I used to move it with a buddy and a refrigeration cart, so how they hell? I never ever anticipated somebody ever carrying it out, and that's what shocked me, was that they dragged it across the floor and out it went out the side door," he said. "Put it this way: I don't want to run into the guy that can bear hug that sucker, because I couldn't move it, so that's why I never anticipated hiding it. I just had it in a room. Otherwise, I would've kept it hid.

"It wouldn't have been two skinny people that took it, I'll put it that way."

Demarais says he has suspicions about who may have stolen the safe, as well as a TV and laptop, but he's allowing police to carry out the investigation.