Grieving Gold Star mom upset family ring stolen from son's grave
LAFAYETTE, Calif. (KTVU) - “The bags under my eyes are because I’ve been crying since Christmas Day”, said Roxanne Langevin.
The holiday season for the Gold Star Mother is always a somber celebration and this year, heartbreak rings in the New Year, after a solid gold ring with a family crest was stolen from her son’s niche at the Queen of Heaven Cemetery in Lafayette.
“To take something that obviously is there for a reason and it’s of significant value to us and it’s important to us, to take it without any regard for our feeling, it’s heartbreaking,” said Langevin.
The family doesn’t know when the ring was removed only saying that it was sometime over Christmas when they went to visit the niche honoring corporeal Sean Langevin.
Corporal Langevin was killed in action in Afghanistan November 9 2007, six other service men lost their live during the ambush attack.
According to Roxanne, when Sean came home from Afghanistan his wedding ring didn’t come with him so this special gold ring made by his father for all of the Langevin boys holds a special significance to the family.
Her husband, Drew, died the day before Sean’s birthday last year in 2015.
“I’ve been through breast cancer and chemo and didn’t even cry when I heard the news about breast cancer but this hit me really hard because I can’t understand how some can violate someone who protected our country is a war hero,” said Langevin.
A special tool would have been needed to open the niche, the Contra Costa Sheriff’s Department is investigating and the cemetery said they couldn’t comment without getting permission first from the Oakland Diocese, but they are working with the family.
The sheriff’s department has dusted for fingerprints and the glass enclosure was clean on the inside.
Theft has taken place in the mausoleum before and Roxanne Langevin says the family was never notified.
Corporeal Sean Langevin received two bronze stars, one with valor he’s served his country proudly now it’s left to whoever is responsible to return the ring to its rightful place.
“Regardless of how much it cost the most value is the meaning behind it. It has been a number of days and the family is hoping the ring with a French-Canadian crest hasn’t been melted down or sold already.
They would like it returned, no questions asked.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Contra Costa Sheriff’s Office or the Queen of Heaven Cemetery.