Stolen saw return 'like an early Christmas gift'
Sally Pitt | CBC News | Posted: December 16, 2016 9:00 PM | Last Updated: December 16, 2016
Mount Stewart woman credits community, police and CBC story for return of stolen items
A Mount Stewart, P.E.I., woman says the return of her stolen saw is "like an early Christmas gift."
Andrea McColl's house was under renovation when it was broken into Nov. 11. The thief took some new windows and a 12-inch mitre saw.
McColl says the return of those stolen items was "a group effort" with help from her neighbours and the police.
Community support
"It just made me feel great that people in my community were helping me," she said.
After the break-in, McColl went door to door, asking her neighbours to watch out for her stolen items.
She managed to track down her windows — worth $1,200 in all. A neighbour had bought them for $100, she said.
As for her saw, McColl said someone saw her story on CBC News and thought he recognized the stolen saw as one his friend had recently purchased.
"A gentleman called me two days later. He felt he had my stolen saw," she said.
The RCMP confirmed it was McColl's saw and it was returned to her. The $600 saw had been sold for $100, she said.
"I was very grateful to the gentleman who purchased it, because now he's out money too, because he purchased an item not knowing it was stolen."
'I still live in a great community'
After the break-in, McColl questioned whether she'd remain in the community.
"It does rob you of your feeling of security. It makes you question where you live."
However, buoyed by the support she's received from her neighbours, she's decided to stay.
"I still live in a great community," said McColl. "There are a lot of great people in that community who are willing to help when something like this happens to their neighbours."
McColl said she wasn't the only victim. Those who bought her stolen windows and saw are out the money they paid for the goods.
She hopes her story encourages those who are thinking of buying items, to question where they came from.
McColl is also grateful to the RCMP for helping track down her goods, and to CBC.
"I don't think without it being publicized that we would've gotten it back," she said.
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