Wedding rings stolen: Widower's keepsake items stolen in heartless crime

A Bay Area man who recently lost his wife was walking along, minding his own business one day when he was suddenly targeted in a heinous crime. Criminals ripped off symbols of love that he's held close since his wife's passing. 

Police are now on the hunt for the criminals, hoping to retrieve the ring that symbolizes the couple's special bond. 

"It just meant the world to me," said a crying Marco Lopez, whose wife of 35 years, Patti, suddenly and unexpectedly died the day after Christmas, collapsing into her husband's arms. "She was a beautiful woman in and out," Lopez said.

Patti was beloved in the community to children, parent, and co-workers alike. "She worked for the school district for 30 years, just retired two years ago and dedicated herself completely to her family," said daughter Naomi Gonzales

In tribute, love and honor, Marco wore his and Patti's wedding rings on a gold chain Patti gave him around his neck to help relieve his deep grief. "My mind, even now, is going in a different direction every morning," said the widower.

A few days after Patti's funeral, Marco did some banking at a Newark strip mall. When he returned to his car, a man and woman asked for directions. "They asked me, they pulled over, they asked me really nice. And me, being a good guy, they asked for directions to an Indian store and I told them there's one at Fremont Boulevard," said Lopez.

To thank him for his kindness, the woman offered to pray for the vulnerable and grieving man as a distraction. She placed her hands on his head. "So I know for a fact, he wasn't in his right mind that day he was exiting the bank," said his daughter.

The woman somehow unfastened his necklace which held the rings; a cruel and thoughtless criminal act. "Her rings kept me going. It's just, her rings, it kept me going and every time I just touched them and kissed them. It just meant a lot to me," said the crying husband.

"It's just, it's horrible that they could just prey on somebody by themselves, nobody in the vehicle to accompany him or have his back," said Gonzales. 

The Newark Police Department is interested in any tips or information on this case. 

As the victims say, it's not about the money. It's about priceless memories.

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