Veteran pleads for return of cherished 60-year-old photo of wife
Feb 2, 2015, 5:31 PM | Updated: 5:46 pm
University Place police are searching for the man captured in this security video who stole a wallet from an 83-year-old man that contained a 60-year-old picture of the victim's wife. (Crimestoppers)
(Crimestoppers)
A University Place man is pleading for the return of a cherished photo of his wife he’s carried with him for more than 60 years.
“I carried it through the Korean War, I carried it through the Vietnam War, I’ve carried it ever since,” says 83-year-old John Zoril.
But last Sunday, Jan. 25, he accidentally left his wallet on the counter at the local Walgreens as he checked out.
“About 30 minutes after I got home, I reached into my back pocket and realized it was missing,” he says.
Zoril returned to the store, where a clerk reviewed the security video and discovered another man had stolen the wallet instead of returning it.
“He came up behind me and lifted the wallet off the counter,” Zoril says.
The wallet had all of his credit cards, his driver’s license and his military retirement card, along with the picture of his beloved wife.
“Every time I think about I just break down and cry about it,” he says.
Zoril says he can easily replace all the other stuff from his wallet. But the picture is priceless. And he’s praying somehow the thief has a heart and gets it back to him.
“She signed it and gave it to me after a football game. I took it with me to Korea, then we got married when I returned,” he says.
Crimestoppers is offering a reward of up to $1,000 for information leading to the arrest and charges filed against the suspect in the theft. Anyone with information is asked to call 1-800-222-TIPS. All calls remain anonymous.
