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Dec 1, 2008 5:24 pm US/Central
Thief Steals Dying Mom's Most Valuable Possession
ARLINGTON (CBS 11 News) ―
A dying mother of two became the victim of petty theft on her family vacation to Arlington.
The Oklahoma woman was visiting North Texas over the holiday when her car was broken into. Thieves made off with her most prized possession.
The crime happened on Sunday afternoon while Jami McElrath Bauer and her family ate lunch at the Cracker Barrel on SH 360 and Ave. J in Arlington.
The family was wrapping up what could be Bauer's last vacation. She is dying of stage-four breast cancer.
"Someone smashed the window in and just grabbed the back pack and drove off," said Bauer. "That's all they took."
Inside the backpack was a 35mm camera. Her father carried the camera through the Vietnam War and captured her family through its lens while she grew up.
"They're not going to be able to sell it," she said. "They're not going to be able to get any money off of it."
It's only worth $30, but to Bauer it's priceless. Her father is now gone and the camera was his legacy. She had planned to leave it to her three-year-old son Chase.
"I'm the only person that cares about this, so if they would just return it to me all would be forgiven," she said.
The backpack also held a digital camera with pictures dating back to last Christmas. The Bauers are offering a $7,000 reward.
Anyone with information about the crime is asked to call Arlington police.
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