Lafayette Family Pleads For Return Of Stolen Purse With 50-Year-Old Wedding Rosary

A Lafayette family is asking the community for help after a purse was reportedly stolen Saturday (August 1) from a shopping cart at the Walmart on Ambassador Caffery.

While replacing identification cards, bank cards, and other personal documents is frustrating enough, the family says one item inside the purse simply cannot be replaced: a wedding rosary believed to be more than 50 years old.

Now, they're hoping someone who witnessed what happened, someone who may have found the purse after it was discarded, or even the person responsible will have a change of heart.

Family Says Cash Doesn't Matter, Sentimental Items Do

Facebook user Lanie Boudreaux Miller shared the family's story in the popular What Up Acadiana Facebook group shortly after the alleged theft.

In her post, she wrote:

"I know this is a long shot but my mother in law's purse was stolen at the Walmart (Ambassador) parking lot out of the shopping cart a few hours ago. Light blue purse, black wallet, red phone cover. Seriously, keep the cash, but please return her personal belongings to customer service at least."

She added that family members searched the parking lot with the help of others and even tracked the missing phone to what appeared to be a nearby location.

The family's message is simple: the money can be replaced, but decades of memories cannot.

Wedding Rosary Among Most Valuable Items

The item drawing the most attention from the community is a wedding rosary that has reportedly been in the family for more than half a century.

Unlike credit cards or identification, sentimental keepsakes often have no monetary value but carry immeasurable emotional significance.

The family says recovering those personal belongings would mean far more than getting back anything of financial value.

Community Offers Advice And Words Of Encouragement

The post quickly attracted dozens of comments from people sharing similar experiences and offering suggestions.

Several recommended continuing to track the missing phone and contacting law enforcement if a location becomes available.

Others suggested checking Walmart customer service over the coming days, saying lost wallets and purses have occasionally been turned in after thieves removed cash or valuables.

Some commenters encouraged searching nearby dumpsters, trash cans, drainage ditches, and even store restrooms, noting that stolen purses are sometimes discarded after valuables are taken.

Others simply offered prayers and words of encouragement, expressing hope that the family would be reunited with the irreplaceable keepsake.

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A Reminder To Stay Alert While Shopping

Unfortunately, purse thefts from shopping carts remain a common crime of opportunity.

Many commenters used the post as a reminder to keep purses worn across the body, secured to the cart, or on their person whenever possible instead of leaving them unattended while shopping.

Whether the missing items are recovered remains to be seen, but the family hopes their message reaches the right person.

If someone finds a light blue purse, a black wallet, or a red phone case matching the family's description, they're asking that the personal belongings simply be turned in to Walmart customer service.

For the family, getting back a wedding rosary that's been cherished for more than 50 years would mean far more than recovering any amount of cash.