BROKEN ARROW, Okla. -- A Broken Arrow woman said thieves targeted her while she was visiting her son’s grave at Floral Haven Cemetery.
She said the thieves then took off on a spending spree, charging hundreds to her credit cards.
Glenda Parker said thieves ruined a peaceful day visiting her son, mother and father. Now, she wants others to be aware.
“He was the bravest person I know,” Parker said of her son, Dusty.
Parker said her son died in 2011 after losing his battle to colon cancer. It’s at Floral Haven Cemetery where she said the memories come flooding back.
“I feel peace when I come out here to visit him,” Parker said.
She said the visits at the cemetery are all she has.
“I like to come out here because you can just sit out here, and it's so nice and peaceful,” Parker said. “Nobody is out here usually but me."
But on Sunday, it wasn't just Parker trying to take in a moment at the cemetery.
“I had just put it here and tried to put it there,” Parker said as she describes where she put her purse before walking over to her son’s grave. She tried to conceal it under the passenger seat.
However, she believes someone must have been watching, because when she returned, her things were gone.
“It’s a shame that you can’t trust people even at a cemetery,” Parker said.
She tried to play out how this could happen. Her phone, wallet, and check book, all stolen.
“I was looking at the angel is why I was distracted,” Parker said.
She said she was distracted by a small glass angel she found near her son's grave. Parker said the thieves drove a small maroon SUV, and immediately began charging hundreds to her credit cards at QuikTrips around town.
She said she thought of chasing after them, but it was too late, and probably for the best.
“If I hadn't been distracted by looking at that angel, I might have gone after those people, or they might have done something worse,” Parker said.
In the end, her things are gone, and her heart torn, but there is a silver lining.
“By me finding that angel, I think that was a sign that he was watching over me,” Parker said.
To Parker, it was a message from her son on a day of despair.
These type of incidents are not just isolated to cemeteries. Police said thieves target cars all the time. If you do leave your vehicle unattended, make sure you lock the doors and bring your valuables with you.
In Parker's case, BAPD was able to to get hand prints from her vehicle. She said the department is also working to get surveillance from the QuikTrips the thieves stopped at.
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